Neutron Powder Diffraction Study on the Magnetic Structure of NdPd ₅ Al ₂

Journal Article · Thu Feb 23 23:00:00 EST 2017 · Journal of the Physical Society of Japan

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.86.034710 · OSTI ID:1376581

Metoki, Naoto ^[1]; Yamauchi, Hiroki ^[1]; Kitazawa, Hideaki ^[2]; Suzuki, Hiroyuki S. ^[2]; Hagihala, Masato ^[3]; Frontzek, Matthias D.  ^[4]; Matsuda, Masaaki ^[4]; Fernandez-Baca, Jaime A. ^[4]

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1. Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA), Tokai (Japan)
2. National Inst. for Materials Science (NIMS), Tsukuba (Japan)
3. Univ. of Tokyo (Japan)
4. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

The magnetic structure of NdPd₅Al₂ has been studied by neutron powder diffraction. Here, we observed the magnetic reflections with the modulation vector q=(1/2,0,0)q=(1/2,0,0) below the ordering temperature T_N. We also found a collinear magnetic structure with a Nd moment of 2.7(3) μB at 0.5 K parallel to the c-axis, where the ferromagnetically ordered a-planes stack with a four-Nd-layer period having a ++-- sequence along the a-direction with the distance between adjacent Nd layers equal to a/2 (magnetic space group P_anma). This “stripe”-like modulation is very similar to that in CePd₅Al₂ with q=(0.235,0.235,0)q=(0.235,0.235,0) with the Ce moment parallel to the c-axis. These structures with in-plane modulation are a consequence of the two-dimensional nature of the Fermi surface topology in this family, originating from the unique crystal structure with a very long tetragonal unit cell and a large distance of >7 Å between the rare-earth layers separated by two Pd and one Al layers.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22)
• Grant/Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1376581
• Journal Information: Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, Journal Name: Journal of the Physical Society of Japan Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 86; ISSN 0031-9015
• Publisher: Physical Society of JapanCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English