Electrical resistivity under extreme conditions in the Ce3Ir4Sn13 heavy fermion compound

•Ce3Ir4Sn13 electrical resistivity data indicate three characteristic features.•Pressure dependence of the electrical resistivity features were mapped.•Magnetic field dependence of the electrical resistivity features were mapped.•At high temperature crystalline electrical field and Kondo scattering dominate.•At low temperature magnetic correlation and structural phase transition may dominate.

We have performed measurements of temperature dependent electrical resistivity ρ(T)ρ(T) under pressures up to 27 kbar and down to 0.1 K on single crystals of the Ce3Ir4Sn13 heavy fermion compound. At ambient pressure (P  =0) we have identified in the ρ(T)ρ(T) data interesting features associated with the presence of crystalline field effects, magnetic correlations, Kondo single impurity scattering and, possibly, a low temperature structural phase transition. All these features were mapped as a function of pressure which allowed us to construct a pressure–temperature phase diagram with these temperature scales. We have also carried out measurements of ρ(T)ρ(T) as a function of magnetic fields up to H=8 T and the important temperature scales in ρ(T)ρ(T) were followed with field. Enlightened also by temperature dependent specific heat experiments we discuss the possible microscopic origins of the features found in our ρ(T)ρ(T) data.