First order transition in trigonal structure ${textbf{Ca}}{textbf{Mn}}_{2}{textbf{P}}_{2}$

We report structural and physical properties of the single crystalline ${mathrm{Ca}}{mathrm{Mn}}_{2}{mathrm{P}}_{2}$. The X-ray diffraction(XRD) results show that ${mathrm{Ca}}{mathrm{Mn}}_{2}{mathrm{P}}_{2}$ adopts the trigonal ${mathrm{Ca}}{mathrm{Al}}_{2}{mathrm{Si}}_{2}$-type structure. Temperature dependent electrical resistivity $rho(T)$ measurements indicate an insulating ground state for ${mathrm{Ca}}{mathrm{Mn}}_{2}{mathrm{P}}_{2}$ with activation energies of 40 meV and 0.64 meV for two distinct regions, respectively. Magnetization measurements show no apparent magnetic phase transition under 400 K. Different from other ${mathrm{A}}{mathrm{Mn}}_{2}{mathrm{Pn}}_{2}$ (A = Ca, Sr, and Ba, and Pn = P, As, and Sb) compounds with the same structure, heat capacity $C_{mathrm{p}}(T)$ and $rho(T)$ reveal that ${mathrm{Ca}}{mathrm{Mn}}_{2}{mathrm{P}}_{2}$ has a first-order transition at $T$ = 69.5 K and the transition temperature shifts to high temperature upon increasing pressure. The emergence of plenty of new Raman modes below the transition, clearly suggests a change in symmetry accompanying the transition. The combination of the structural, transport, thermal and magnetic measurements, points to an unusual origin of the transition.