Single crystal neutron diffraction study of the magnetic structure of TmNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C

Conference · Sat Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:431163

Sternlieb, B; Shapiro, S ^[1]; Stassis, C; Goldman, A I; Canfield, P ^[2]

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1. Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)
2. Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

Neutron diffraction techniques have been used to study the magnetic structure of single crystals of the magnetic superconductor (T{sub c} {congruent} 11K) TmNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C. We find that below approximately 1.5K the magnetic moments order in an incommensurate spin wave with propagation vector q{sub m} = q{sub m} (a* +b*) (or q{sub m} = q{sub m} (a* + b*)) with q{sub m} = 0.094 {+-} 0.001. The spin wave is transverse with the moments aligned along the c-axis, and the observation of relatively intense higher order harmonics shows that the modulation is not purely sinusoidal but considerably squared. This incommensurate magnetic structure, which coexists with superconductivity below T{sub N} {congruent} 1.5K, is quite different from those observed in the magnetic superconductors HoNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C and ErNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C. The origin of diffraction peaks observed in scans parallel to a* is briefly discussed.

• Research Organization: Ames Lab., IA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-82
• OSTI ID: 431163
• Report Number(s): IS-M--861; CONF-961141--8; ON: DE97002391
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
66 PHYSICS
BORON CARBIDES
HARMONICS
MAGNETIC MOMENTS
NEUTRON DIFFRACTION
NICKEL CARBIDES
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
THULIUM CARBIDES
TRANSITION TEMPERATURE