Evidence for strong enhancement of the magnetic ordering temperature of trivalent Nd metal under extreme pressure [Anomalous enhancement of the magnetic ordering temperature of trivalent Nd metal under extreme pressure: Possible Kondo lattice behavior]
Four-point electrical resistivity measurements were carried out on Nd metal and dilute magnetic alloys containing up to 1 at.% Nd in superconducting Y for temperatures 1.5–295 K under pressures to 210 GPa. The magnetic ordering temperature T o of Nd appears to rise steeply under pressure, increasing ninefold to 180 K at 70 GPa before falling rapidly. Y(Nd) alloys display both a resistivity minimum and superconducting pair breaking ΔT c as large as 38 K/at.% Nd. The present results give evidence that for pressures above 30–40 GPa, the exchange coupling J between Nd ions and conduction electrons becomes negative, thus activating Kondo physics in this highly correlated electron system. Furthermore, the rise and fall of T o and ΔT c with pressure can be accounted for in terms of an increase in the Kondo temperature.