Antiferromagnetism in EuNiGe
The synthesis and crystallographic and physical properties of polycrystalline EuNiGe3 are reported. EuNiGe3 crystallizes in the noncentrosymmetric body-centered tetragonal BaNiSn3-type structure (space group I4mm), in agreement with previous reports, with the Eu atoms at the corners and body center of the unit cell. The physical property data consistently demonstrate that this is a metallic system in which Eu spins S = 7/2 order antiferromagnetically at a temperature TN = 13.6 K.Magnetic susceptibility χ data forT >TN indicate that the Eu atoms have spin 7/2 with g = 2, that the Ni atoms are nonmagnetic, and that the dominant interactions between the Eu spins are ferromagnetic. Thus we propose that EuNiGe3 has a collinear A-type antiferromagnetic structure, with the Eu ordered moments in the ab plane aligned ferromagnetically and with the moments in adjacent planes along the c axis aligned antiferromagnetically. A fit of χ(T TN) by our molecular field theory is consistent with a collinear magnetic structure. Electrical resistivity ρ data from TN to 350 K are fitted by the Bloch-Gr¨uneisen model for electron-phonon scattering, yielding a Debye temperature of 265(2) K.Astrong decrease in ρ occurs belowTN due to loss of spin-disorder scattering. Heat capacity data at 25 K T 300Kare fitted by the Debye model, yielding the same Debye temperature 268(2) K as found from ρ(T ). The extracted magnetic heat capacity is consistent with S = 7/2 and shows that significant short-range dynamical spin correlations occur above TN. The magnetic entropy at TN = 13.6 K is 83% of the expected asymptotic high-T value, with the remainder recovered by 30 K.
- Research Organization:
- Ames Lab., Ames, IA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-07CH11358
- OSTI ID:
- 1080050
- Report Number(s):
- IS-J 7928; PRBMDO
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 87, Issue 6; ISSN 1098-0121
- Publisher:
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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