Thermal Properties of Nd-Doped PrOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$ Extracted From Measurement of Specific Heat

PrOs$_4$Sb$_{12}$ has attracted interest due to its unconventional heavy fermion superconductivity, interest that has increased once the Nd-doped compound was shown at certain concentrations of Nd to simultaneously display ferromagnetism and superconducting properties at low temperatures. In order to better understand the more exotic low temperature behavior exhibited by this system, it is necessary to characterize its normal-state properties. Therefore, the molar specific heat of Pr$_{1-x}$Nd$_x$Os$_4$Sb$_{12}$ is measured using finite heat pulse relaxation calorimetry. A curve-fit of the temperature-dependent molar specific heat allows an estimation of the Debye and Einstein temperatures, as well as the electronic specific heat coefficient. These properties are examined across x to determine the behavior of the system with respect to Nd-concentration. The results from the measurements will be discussed during the presentation.