Magnetic and electrical properties of the ternary compound UIrSi with one-dimensional uranium zigzag chains

Li, D. X.*; Honda, Fuminori*; Miyake, Atsushi*; Homma, Yoshiya*; Haga, Yoshinori   ; Nakamura, Ai*; Shimizu, Yusei*; Maurya, A.*; Sato, Yoshiki*; Tokunaga, Masashi*; Aoki, Dai*

Physical properties of the single-crystalline UIrSi, a new ternary uranium compound with UCoSi-type orthorhombic structure, are investigated by means of magnetic susceptibility, specific heat and electrical resistivity. This compound undergoes an antiferromagnetic transition followed by a first-order phase transition at lower temperature. A possible mechanism of the first-order transition is the occurrence of a magnetic magnetic quadrupolar order, resulting from the quasi-one-dimensional uranium zigzag chain.