Antiferromagnetic ordering in CePdSn

A new equiatomic cerium containing ternary compound CePdSn has been synthesized and is found to crystallize in the orthorhombic TiNiSi type structure. Magnetic susceptibility and electrical resistivity measurements reveal that this compound is ordered antiferromagnetically with a Neel temperature (T<SUB>N</SUB>) of 7.5K. In the paramagnetic state, the susceptibility follows Curie-Weiss behavior between 50-300K with an effective moment close to that of free Ce<SUP>3+</SUP> ion and a large negative paramagnetic Curie temperature. Deviation from Curie-Weiss behavior of the susceptibility is observed at low temperatures. The T<SUB>N</SUB> of CePdSn is anomalously high compared to that expected, on the basis of de Gennes rule, from the T<SUB>N</SUB>=14.6K of GdPdSn