Single Uranium-Site Properties of the Dilute Heavy Electron System UxTh1-xRu2Si2(x≤0.07)

Specific heat C , electrical resistivity ρ , magnetization M and magnetic susceptibility χ have been measured for the dilute tetragonal heavy-electron compounds U x Th 1- x Ru 2 Si 2 ( x ≤0.07), in the temperature range 100 mK≤ T ≤360 K and in the magnetic fields H up to 55 kOe. Non-Fermi-liquid behavior with unusual lnT dependence of C , ρ and χ has been observed at the low temperatures: as the temperature is lowered below about 10 K, C / T and χ increase logarithmically, and ρ decreases logarithmically. Systematical variations of these quantities with uranium concentration indicate that the observed non-Fermi-liquid behavior is ascribed to the properties of a single U ion embedded in the Th site of the ThRu 2 Si 2 metal. The magnetization curves M vs H / T indicate a strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy along the tetragonal c -axis as well as a strong reduction of the 5 f moment of U ions. A possible interpretation based on the recent developments of the S =1/2 two-channel Kondo model is given.