Crystal growth and magnetic property of a new compound CeAu4Si2

We have succeeded in growing a new ternary Ce compound CeAu4Si2. This compound crystallizes in the tetragonal crystal structure P4¯m2 (♯ 1 1 5) with lattice parameters a=4.3304  Å and c=27.409  Å. The local environment around Ce atoms is similar to that of the well-known ThCr2 Si2-type tetragonal structure in CeAu2 Si2. Single crystals of CeAu4Si2 were grown by the flux method using an Au4.37 Si eutectic alloy as flux. Electrical resistivity, specific heat and magnetization measurements revealed a ferromagnetic ordering at TC=5.3  K with a saturation moment of 1.7 μB /Ce. Anisotropic features in the magnetic susceptibility and magnetization were well explained by a crystalline electric field (CEF) model. Estimated excitation energies from the ground state doublet to two excited doublets are 284 and 340 K, respectively.