Neutron diffraction study of the magnetic structures of CeMn{sub 2}Ge{sub 2} and CeMn{sub 2}Si{sub 2}
- Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States). Solid State Div.
- Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale, IL (United States). Dept. of Physics
The magnetic properties of the layered compounds of the form RMn{sub 2}X{sub 2} (R = Rare Earth, X = Si, Ge) have been thought to be sensitive to the intralayer Mn-Mn distance. Thus it has been reported that the Mn moments in CeMn{sub 2}Si{sub 2} are aligned antiferromagnetically (AF) below T{sub N} = 380K, while the Mn moments in CeMn{sub 2}Ge{sub 2} are ferromagnetic (FM) below T{sub C} = 316K. Recently, however, there has been some debate about the actual magnetic structures of this family of compounds, and for this reason the authors have performed high-resolution neutron powder diffraction measurements on these compounds for temperatures between 12K and 550K. The measurements indicate that at high temperatures both compounds are paramagnetic. Below T{sub N} = 380K CeMn{sub 2}Si{sub 2} becomes a collinear AF, with a structure similar to that reported by Siek et al. in which the magnetic propagation vector is {tau} = (0 0 1). CeMn{sub 2}Ge{sub 2} on the other hand, exhibits two different magnetic transitions. At T{sub N} {approx} 415K there is a transition to a collinear AF phase characterized by the commensurate propagation wavevector {tau} = (1 0 1). At T{sub C} = 318K there is a transition to a conical structure with a ferromagnetic component along the c-axis and a helical component in the ab plane. The helical component is characterized by the incommensurate propagation vector {tau} = (1 0 1-q{sub z}), where q{sub z} is temperature dependent. These findings are consistent with the recent results of Welter et al.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-84OR21400
- OSTI ID:
- 201778
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-951101-9; ON: DE96005656; TRN: 96:008341
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 40. conference on magnetism and magnetic materials, Philadelphia, PA (United States), 6-9 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: [1995]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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