Anisotropic behavior in resistivity of RAgSb2 (R = Ce, La)

CeAgSb2 crystallizes in the tetragonal ZrCuSi2 type structure (P4/nmm), which consists of Sb-Ce, Sb-Ag-Ce, Sb-Sb layers. It shows the peculiar anisotropic ferromagnetic ordering below 9.7 K with a small ordered moment of 0.33 mu B. Its residual resistivity steeply increases above p(c) congruent to 3.3 GPa where the magnetic order disappears. It is expected that the p-f mixing on the peculiar hollow square pillar-like Fermi surface plays an important role in CeAgSb2, while similar Fermi surfaces were not observed in LaAgSb,. We have measured the anisotropy in the electrical resistivity of CexLa1-xAgSb2 to study the p-f mixing effect. Small humps were observed in the temperature dependence of the resistivity in (CeLa1-xAgSb2)-La-x. We expected them the CDW transition. The CDW state coexisted with the ferromagnetic state around x = 0.2. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.