Thermal $\left(C_P\right)$, magnetic ($M$ and ${\chi }_{\text{ac}}$), and transport $\left(\rho \right)$ measurements on ${\text{Ce}}_2{\text{Pd}}_2\text{Sn}$ are reported. High-temperature properties are well described by the presence of two excited crystal-field levels at $\left(65\pm 5\right)\text{K}$ and $\left(230\pm 20\right)\text{K}$, with negligible hybridization (Kondo) effects. According to literature, two transitions were observed at $T_M=4.8\text{K}$ and $T_C=2.1\text{K}$, respectively. The upper transition cannot be considered as a standard antiferromagnetic because of frustration effects in a triangular network of Ce atoms and the positive sign of the paramagnetic temperature ${\theta }_P^{LT}=4.4\text{K}$. The nature of the intermediated phase is described accounting for the formation of ferromagnetic (F) Ce dimers disposed in a quasi-two-dimensional square lattice, resembling a Shastry-Sutherland pattern. According to hysteretic features in $\rho \left(T\right)$ and ${\chi }_{\text{ac}}\left(T\right)$, the lower F transition is of first order, with $C_P\left(T<T_C\right)$ revealing a gap of anisotropy $E_g\approx 7\text{K}$.

• Received 7 April 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.80.024428