Metamagnetic transition in U2Pd2In

U2Pd2In exhibits antiferromagnetic (AF) order below T-N = 37 K with a non-collinear magnetic structure of U moments of approximate to 1.6 mu (B)/U confirmed to the basal plane of the tetragonal structure. At 4.2K it exhibits a metamagnetic transition (MT) around 26 T. Previous high-field magnetization measurements on powder samples revealed that the fixed-powder magnetization attains above MT a higher value than the free-powder sample. The temperature dependence of susceptibility of a single crystal shows crossing of the basal plane and the c-axis signals below T-N, the latter one dominating at low T. We present magnetization data obtained on single crystals in fields up to 55 T applied in various crystallographic directions. The observed magnetic anisotropy is attributed to the anisotropic 5f-ligand hybridization, which is forcing the U moments to orient in particular directions. The MT can be induced by a field applied within the basal plane but not in fields up to 55 T along the c-axis. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.