UC Irvine

We report the synthesis and characterization of an indium-rich quaternary Yb-Pt-In-Bi compound that is similar to the well-known rare-earth transition-metal stannide Remeika-phase compounds. In addition to structural/composition studies identifying the compound as (Formula presented) we have made dc and ac magnetic susceptibility, specific heat, resistivity, magnetoresistance, Hall effect, and thermoelectric power measurements on this material. It appears that this Remeika-phase compound (structure type (Formula presented) is moderately disordered. Crystal-field effects influence the temperature dependence of the dc magnetic susceptibility, the specific heat, the resistivity, and the thermoelectric power. A cusp in the ac magnetic susceptibility peaks near 300 mK, close in temperature to where the specific heat divided by temperature (Formula presented) also reaches a maximum. The susceptibility feature is frequency dependent and suggestive of a disorder-induced spin-glass transition rather than conventional magnetic order. © 1999 The American Physical Society.