Competing magnetic states in quasi-one-dimensional hexagonal ferromagnetic Nd1−xLaxCrGe3 crystals

Because of their unique crystal structure and peculiar physical properties, RECrGe3 (RE = La, Ce, Pr, Nd, and Sm) have attracted considerable research attention. Different to most of RECrGe3 crystals, usually showing a single phase transition, NdCrGe3 undergoes two distinct types of magnetic transitions from paramagnetic state to ferromagnetic (FM) and then to antiferromagnetic (AFM) state with lowering temperature. Here, we grew Nd1−xLaxCrGe3 (x = 0, 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9) samples and studied the structure and magnetic properties in detail. As the concentration of La increases, the AFM phase region of Nd1−xLaxCrGe3 (x = 0, 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9) show a dome-shaped evolution behavior. LaCrGe3 has been known to only display a low-temperature FM phase, which is attributed to the Cr magnetic moments. These current experimental results reveal a competition between the FM and AFM phases in this system and indicate that the Nd magnetic moments might play a key role in the AFM phase of NdCrGe3.