We investigate the novel intermetallic ternary compounds \emph{R}Co9Ge4 with \emph{R} = La and Ce by means of X-ray diffraction, susceptibility and specific heat measurements. CeCo9Ge4 crystallizes in the space group I 4/ mcm and is characterized by the coexistence of two different magnetic sublattices. The Ce-based sublattice, with an effective moment close to the expected value for a Ce3+-ion, exhibits a magnetically ordered ground state with TN=12.5 K. The Co-based sublattice, however, exhibits magnetic moments due to itinerant 3d electrons. The magnetic specific heat contribution of the Ce-sublattice is discussed in terms of a resonance-level model implying the interplay between an antiferromagnetic phase transition and the Kondo-effect and an underlying Schottky-anomaly indicating a crystal field level scheme splitting into three twofold degenerated micro states (Δ1=69 K, Δ2=133 K).
@article{arxiv.0906.1745,
title = {Antiferromagnetic behavior in CeCo$_{9}$Ge$_{4}$},
author = {C. Gold and L. Peyker and E. -W. Scheidt and H. Michor and W. Scherer},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0906.1745},
year = {2010}
}