Eur. Phys. J. B 63, 187-192 (2008)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2008-00241-7

Phase transition in YbAl₃C₃

¹ Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai, 400005, India
² INFM and Dipartimento di Chimica, Universitá di Genova, 16146 Genova, Italy
³ Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique, Centre de Saclay, DSM/SPEC, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France

Corresponding author: ^a pierre.bonville@cea.fr

Received: 28 February 2008
Published online: 20 June 2008

Abstract

¹⁷⁰Yb Mössbauer spectroscopy, temperature dependent X-ray, magnetisation and specific heat data are presented in the hexagonal intermetallic YbAl₃C₃, in order to shed light on the isostructural transition occurring near 80 K and to investigate the electronic state of the Yb ion above and below the transition. In the low temperature phase, we find that there occurs an atomic rearrangement in the hexagonal unit cell, leading to a strong symmetry lowering at the Yb site. We show that no magnetic ordering of the Yb³⁺ moments occurs down to 0.04 K, and we discuss this finding in terms of 4f-conduction electron hybridisation and geometric frustration.