Magnetic structure of the Mn5Si3-type Er5Si3 compound

► Neutron diffraction study has been performed on the Er5Si3 compound (Mn5Si3-type, P63/mcm) to avoid the contradictions of the magnetic structure models of Er5Si3 in the previous works. ► The high-temperature magnetic component of Er5Si3 (P31m magnetic space group, K1 = [0, 0, ±0.277(2)]) exists from 29 to 10 K, whereas low-temperature magnetic component (Pm magnetic space group, K2 = [0, ±1/4, 0]) exists from 13 K to 1.5 K. ► The low-temperature and high-temperature component structures coexist between 13 and 10 K.