The article discusses selected properties of the non- and superconducting polycrystalline samples of RuSr_2GdCu_2O_8 and comments on the consequences of introducing insignificant sub-stoichiometry of Ru into the nominal formula. The magneto-resistive and the magnetic characteristics are interpreted in favour of the formation of intrinsically inhomogeneous superconducting phase, which seems stabilized along with the structural modifications enhanced with the modification of starting stoichiometry. The specific heat data reveals the small shift of the temperature of magnetic ordering T_{m}, which may suggest dilution of the magnetic sublattice of the Ru moments. The measurements of the magnetic field dependences of the isothermal magnetocaloric coefficient M_{T} reveal no gain in the system magnetic entropy in a broad range of accessed fields and temperature. Whereas the multi-component character of the compound's magnetsm precludes from concluding on the magnetic ground state, the maximum in M_T (H), which occurs at comparably weak magnetic field for temperatures in a vicinity of T_{m} may reflect dominance of the ferromagnetic type interactions with a constrained correlation range. The literature explored models for the Ru magnetic ordering and also possible phase separation are brought into the discussion.
High-quality single crystal of Ce_{2}RhSi_{3} was studied by means of thermoelectric power measurements carried out down to 2 K in external magnetic fields up to 13 T. The results obtained above 50 K were interpreted in terms of a modified two-band model that takes into account temperature variation of the width of 4f-derived narrow band located near the Fermi level. At lower temperatures the thermopower exhibits more complex temperature dependences that likely involve interplays of magnetic exchange, Kondo and crystal-field interactions.
The specific heat of title compound was measured by adiabatic calorimeter in the temperature range 80-315 K. The phase transitions at about 304, 285 and 235 K were confirmed. A new structural phase transition at about 125 K was observed as well as new anomaly on differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) curve at about 318 K. The peculiar multiple character of C, anomalies may be explained in terms of phase transitions or intermediate phases induced by impurities. The specific heat data are in agreement with the independent DSC measurements and with preliminary X-ray studies.
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