Magnetic, thermodynamic, and magnetotransport properties of CeGaGe and PrGaGe single crystals

We investigate the physical properties of high-quality single crystals CeGaGe and PrGaGe using magnetization, heat capacity, and magnetotransport measurements. Gallium-indium binary flux was used to grow these single crystals that crystallize in a body-centered tetragonal structure. Magnetic susceptibility data reveal a magnetic phase transition around 6.0 and 19.4 K in CeGaGe and PrGaGe, respectively, which is further confirmed by heat capacity and electrical resistivity data. A number of additional anomalies have been observed below the ordering temperature in the magnetic susceptibility data, indicating a complex magnetic structure. The magnetic measurements also reveal a strong magnetocrystalline anisotropy in both compounds. Our detailed analysis of the crystalline electric field (CEF) effect as observed in magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity data suggests that the J = 5/2 multiplet of CeGaGe splits into three doublets, while the J = 4 degenerate ground state of PrGaGe splits into five singlets and two doublets. The estimated energy levels from the CEF analysis are consistent with the magnetic entropy.