Low-temperature properties and magnetic order of EuZn2Sb2

We report on the low-temperature properties of the ternary europium pnictide $\mathrm{Eu}{\mathrm{Zn}}_{2}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}$. Bulk properties were characterized in terms of the electrical resistivity, magnetoresistance, Hall effect, magnetization, specific heat, and thermal expansion. The data are consistent with an antiferromagnetic order of divalent europium below ${T}_{N}=13.3\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. The phase transition at ${T}_{N}$ is clearly visible in all properties measured. The magnetic field-temperature phase diagram was derived from the magnetization, specific heat, and resistivity. For the field parallel and perpendicular to the trigonal $c$ axis the antiferromagnetism is suppressed above ${B}_{\ensuremath{\Vert}}\ensuremath{\approx}4.7\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{T}$ and ${B}_{\ensuremath{\perp}}\ensuremath{\approx}3.5\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{T}$, respectively. The critical exponent $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ observed in the specific heat near ${T}_{N}$ is consistent with both the predictions of the three-dimensional (3D) $XY$ as well as the 3D-Heisenberg model.