Complex magnetic states of the heavy fermion compound CeGe

The intermetallic compound CeGe exhibits unusual magnetic behavior owing to the interplay between Kondo and antiferromagnetic coupling. This system is interesting because the Kondo temperature is close to the Néel temperature, so there is a close competition between the low-temperature interactions, which can be tuned by varying external parameters such as pressure and applied magnetic field. Interestingly, magnetization measurements up to 12 kbar reveal that the Néel temperature is not affected by pressure. Measurements of the electrical resistivity show, however, that the sharp upturn below TN is sensitive to pressures up to 15 kbar. This suggests that pressure may change the complex antiferromagnetic spin structure. The validity of an explanation based on the magnetic superzones seen in the rare earths is discussed here. © 2012 American Institute of Physics