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Bulk single-crystal growth of the theoretically predicted magnetic Weyl semimetals RAlGe ( R = Pr, Ce)

Type of publication Peer-reviewed
Publikationsform Original article (peer-reviewed)
Author Puphal Pascal, Mielke Charles, Kumar Neeraj, Soh Y., Shang Tian, Medarde Marisa, White Jonathan S., Pomjakushina Ekaterina,
Project Discovery and Nanoengineering of Novel Skyrmion-hosting Materials
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Original article (peer-reviewed)

Journal Physical Review Materials
Volume (Issue) 3(2)
Page(s) 024204 - 024204
Title of proceedings Physical Review Materials
DOI 10.1103/physrevmaterials.3.024204

Abstract

We explore two methods for single-crystal growth of the theoretically proposed magnetic Weyl semimetals RAlGe (R = Pr, Ce), which prove that a floating-zone technique, being both crucible- and flux-free, is crucial to obtain perfectly stoichiometric RAlGe crystals. In contrast, the crystals grown by a flux-growth technique tend to be Al-rich. We further present both structural and elemental analyses, along with bulk magnetization and electrical resistivity data on the crystals prepared by the floating-zone technique. Both systems with the intended 1:1:1 stoichiometry crystallize in the anticipated polar I41md (No. 109) space group, although neither displays the theoretically expected ferromagnetic ground state. Instead PrAlGe displays a spin-glass-like transition below 16 K with an easy c axis and CeAlGe has an easy-ab-plane antiferromagnetic order below 5 K. The grown crystals provide an ideal platform for microscopic studies of the magnetic field-tunable correlation physics involving magnetism and topological Weyl nodes.
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