Measurements of magnetic susceptibilities, their anisotropies and crystal field investigations of monoclinic single crystals of Ho2GeO5

Monoclinic single crystals of Ho2GeO5 were grown by a flux technique. The molar principal susceptibilities (χ1 and χ3) have been measured in the temperature range 300–13.5 K. The principal magnetic anisotropies (χ1–χ2,χ2–χ3 and χ1–χ3) are obtained from the measured anisotropies in different modes of suspensions (b-axis vertical, c-axis vertical and (1 0 0) plane horizontal) of the crystal. The molar principal susceptibility (χ2) is obtained from the observed values of the principal anisotropies. The observed principal susceptibilities together with their anisotropies are explained by invoking the crystal field interaction of the Ho3+ ion with its diamagnetic neighbors in non-axial symmetry. The molar susceptibilities are correlated to the ionic values by finding out the proper orientation of the principal molar susceptibilities, i.e., crystal susceptibilities with respect to that of the ionic susceptibilities (Kx, Ky and Kz). The electronic heat capacities are calculated from the crystal field analysis showing Schottky type anomalies.