Structural, thermodynamic and magnetotransport properties of half-Heusler compound HoPtSb

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds Vol. 829; p. 154467
• Main Authors: Ciesielski, K., Gnida, D., Borrmann, H., Ramlau, R., Prots, Yu, Szymański, D., Grin, Yu, Kaczorowski, D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 15.07.2020; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Conduction electrons; Crystal structure; Disordered systems; Electrical resistivity; Electron microscopy; High temperature; High-magnetic fields; Low temperature; Magnetic fields; Magnetic properties; Magnetoresistance; Magnetoresistivity; Microscopy; Rare earth alloys and compounds; TEM; Temperature; Transmission electron microscopy; Transport properties; X ray powder diffraction; Disordered systems; Transmission electron microscopy; Magnetoresistance; TEM; Rare earth alloys and compounds; High-magnetic fields
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2020.154467

Half-Heusler phase HoPtSb was studied by means of powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), heat capacity, magnetization, electrical resistivity and magnetoresistance. Measurements were performed in temperature range 2–300 K and magnetic fields up to 14 T. The results revealed significant atomic disorder in the crystal structure of this compound, and indicated that the electrical transport in HoPtSb is noticeably affected by scattering conduction electrons on structural inhomogeneities. Due to large value of the resistivity accompanied by small overall change of resistivity with changing temperature the high-temperature behavior was attributed to disorder-induced violation of the Matthiessen’s rule. In turn, at low temperatures, strong magnetic field of 14 T disclosed resistivity upturn reminiscent of Altshuler-Aronov quantum correction observed in disordered metallic systems. •Detailed physical characterization of relatively unknown half-Heusler phase HoPtSb.•Crystallographic disorder: local displacement of Pt atoms from the 4c Wyckoff site.•Violation of the Matthiessen’s rule in electrical resistivity induced by disorder.•Altshuler-Aronov quantum correction to electrical resistivity in magnetic fields.