Investigation of magnetic order in a new intermetallic compound Nd2PtGe3

Abstract In the present study we report a successful synthesis of the new intermetallic compound Nd2PtGe3 by an arc-melting method. The powder X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that this compound crystallizes in an disordered variant of the AlB2-type structure (space group P6/mmm, no. 191) with lattice parameters a = 4.2455 A and c = 4. 1933 A. The compound exhibits a cluster-glass transition below Tf = 2.9 K, characterized through ac and dc magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity measurements.