Unexpected crystal and magnetic structures in MnCu4In and MnCu4Sn

We discovered a new compound MnCu4In with its own hexagonal structure type (hP12-P63mc, ternary ordered derivative of the hexagonal MgZn2-type) that becomes ferromagnetic at TC = 540 K. This transition temperature is higher than that found in the MnCu2In and MnCu2Sn alloys. In contrast, the homologous compound MnCu4Sn, which crystallizes in the cubic MgCu4Sn-type, orders antiferromagnetically with TN = 110 K. The neutron diffraction studies show ferromagnetic spin orientation in the {1 0 1} plane in MnCu4In with a magnetic moment of 4.5 μB/Mn at 22 K, and a corresponding value of 4.7 μB/Mn in the antiferromagnetic MnCu4Sn with propagation vector K→=121212. The first-principles electronic structure calculations show that the unexpected difference in both magnetic and crystal structures of MnCu4In and MnCu4Sn is due to the difference in the Mn-3d bands and exchange interactions relating to different crystal anisotropy, coordination numbers, and interatomic distances.