Magnetotransport properties of CeRu2Al10 : Similarities to URu2Si2

We report on magnetotransport properties of the Kondo semiconducting compound ${\mathrm{CeRu}}₂{\mathrm{Al}}₁₀$, focusing on its exotic phase below ${T}₀=27$ K. An excess thermal conductivity $\ensuremath{\kappa}$ emerges below ${T}₀$ and is gradually suppressed by magnetic field, strikingly resembling those observed in the hidden-order phase of ${\mathrm{URu}}₂{\mathrm{Si}}₂$. Our analysis indicates that low-energy magnetic excitation is the most likely origin, as was also proposed for ${\mathrm{URu}}₂{\mathrm{Si}}₂$ recently based on inelastic x-ray scattering measurements of phonon dynamics, despite the largely reduced magnetic moments. Likewise, other transport properties such as resistivity, thermopower, and Nernst effect exhibit distinct features characterizing the very different charge dynamics above and below ${T}₀$, sharing similarities to ${\mathrm{URu}}₂{\mathrm{Si}}₂$, too. Given the exotic nature of the ordered phase in both compounds, whether a unified interpretation to all these observations exists appears to be extremely interesting.