Electrical resistivity under extreme conditions in the Ce3Ir4Sn13 heavy fermion compound

We have performed measurements of temperature dependent electrical resistivity rho(T) under pressures up to 27 kbar and down to 0.1 K on single crystals of the Ce3Ir4Sn13 heavy fermion compound. At ambient pressure (P=0) we have identified in the rho(T) data interesting features associated with the presence of crystalline field effects, magnetic correlations, Kondo single impurity scattering and, possibly, a low temperature structural phase transition. All these features were mapped as a function of pressure which allowed us to construct a pressure-temperature phase diagram with these temperature scales. We have also carried out measurements of rho(T) as a function of magnetic fields up to H=8 T and the important temperature scales in rho(T) were followed with field. Enlightened also by temperature dependent specific heat experiments we discuss the possible microscopic origins of the features found in our rho(T) data. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.