Anisotropic and mutable magnetization in Kondo lattice CeSb 2

We have systematically studied the behaviors of the resistivity and magnetization of CeSb2 single crystals as a function of temperature and external field. Four anomalies in the resistivity/magnetization-versus-temperature curves are observed at low magnetic field. They are located at 15.5 K, 11.5 K, 9.5 K, and 6.5 K, corresponding to the paramagnetic–magnetically ordered state (MO), MO-antiferromagnetic (AFM), AFM–AFM, and AFM–ferromagnetic (FM) transitions, respectively. The anomaly at 9.5 K is only visible with H || [010] by magnetic susceptibility measurements, indicating that the AFM–AFM transition only happens along [010] direction in ab-plane. The four magnetic transitions are strongly suppressed by high external field. Finally, the field-temperature phase diagrams of CeSb2 with different orientations of the applied field in ab-plane are constructed and indicate the highly anisotropic nature of the magnetization of CeSb2.