Multiple magnetic transitions, metamagnetism, and topological Hall effect in the rare-earth based plumbide GdRhPb
Phys. Rev. B 113, 035149 – Published 26 January, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/dx66-ywt9
Abstract
We present a comprehensive investigation of the physical properties of a candidate nodal-line semimetal GdRhPb single crystals, through magnetization, heat capacity, and magnetotransport measurements. Temperature-dependent magnetization along different crystallographic directions confirm that Gd ions are in the trivalent state and exhibit antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering below , followed by a second magnetic transition at . Electrical resistivity measurement exhibits metallic behavior, followed by a sharp increase at just below , indicative of AFM superzone gap formation. These AFM phase transitions are further corroborated by the temperature-dependent heat capacity. Within the AFM state, isothermal magnetization data reveal multiple field-induced metamagnetic (MM) transitions. Moreover, transverse and longitudinal magnetoresistance data show a sharp drop at critical fields, aligning with the MM transitions observed in data. Hall resistivity analysis in the paramagnetic region indicates a crossover from single carrier-dominated electrical transport to contributions from multiple carrier types. Interestingly, a distinct humplike anomaly in the Hall resistivity below , not scaling with , suggests the presence of the topological Hall contribution. Additionally, the constructed phase diagram for reveals at least four distinct magnetic phases, highlighting the compound's complex low-temperature magnetic behavior. Furthermore, first-principles calculations reveal that GdRhPb is a topologically nontrivial nodal-line semimetal, characterized by drumhead surface states and a nonzero Berry phase.