Large magnetoresistance in intermetallic compounds R2Mn3Si5 (R = Tb, Dy and Ho)

Magnetization (M) and magnetoresistance (MR) measurements on polycrystalline R2Mn3Si5 (R = Tb, Dy and Ho) compounds (tetragonal, space group P4/mnc) have been carried out in the temperature range of 2 K–300 K, in various applied fields. Both, the rare earth and Mn, are found to carry magnetic moments in these compounds. Mn has two sub-lattices (Mn1 and Mn2) that order magnetically at two different temperatures. Rare-earth and Mn1 moments order ferromagnetically at TC1 whereas Mn2 is found to magnetically order at TC2 (TC1 = 89 K, 86 K, 78 K and TC2 = 18 K, 34 K, 16 K for R = Tb, Dy and Ho compounds, respectively). Magnetoresistance measurements reveal large negative MR values of about 50% near TC2 at 9 T in all these compounds. This giant magnetoresistance is attributed to the spin-dependent scattering effects, competing exchange interactions and the layered structure of these compounds.