Successive phase transitions induced by magnetic fields in a cubic system, NdPd₃S₄

To investigate the role of multipoles in the phase transitions of NdPd3S4, measurements of specific heat, magnetization, and electrical resistivity were performed for single-crystalline samples. We also carried out powder neutron diffraction experiments to identify a magnetically ordered structure. At zero magnetic field, an antiferromagnetic (AFM) transition occurs at TN 1.8 K. When a magnetic field is applied, the AFM ordered phase, characterized by a propagation vector k = (1, 0, 0), switches into field-induced phases. We propose that the field-induced phases are associated with quadrupolar ordering.