Magnetic and transport properties of Sm7Rh3 single crystal

A Sm7Rh3 single crystal with Th7Fe3-type hexagonal structure was grown by the Czochralski method. The magnetic and transport measurements revealed a uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy in the magnetic susceptibility, magnetization and electrical resistivity. Sm7Rh3 was found to exhibit antiferromagnetic transition at TN=54.0 K and another magnetic transition at Tt=25.0 K. The specific heat data clearly showed the bulk nature of paramagnetic to ordered magnetic phase transition by the presence of a sharp peak at TN and a small anomaly at Tt. The paramagnetic susceptibility does not obey the Curie-Weiss law, attributing to the temperature independent Van Vleck contribution and Pauli paramagnetism of conduction electrons. Metamagnetic phase transitions were observed along the c-axis in the ordered states. The magnetic field H-temperature T phase diagram was constructed. Anisotropic paramagnetic electrical resistivity showed the small negative temperature coefficients.