Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
1621017 | Journal of Alloys and Compounds | 2009 | 13 Pages |
Abstract
The hexagonal ErMn6âxFexSn6 solid solution (0.2 < x < 4) has been studied by magnetisation measurements and neutron diffraction. The ordering temperature of the T = (Mn,Fe) sublattice almost continuously increases from T = 386 K for x = 0.2 to T = 498 K for x = 4. The T sublattice orders in the successive magnetic structures helimagnetic H1, antiferromagnetic AF2, helimagnetic H2 and antiferromagnetic AF1 with increasing iron content. While structures AF2 and H1 were already observed in ternary Mn compounds and AF1 in ternary iron compounds, the structure H2 is of a new kind characterized by an AF slab around the Er(1a) site. At low temperature, a change of the easy direction of the Er moment from easy plane to easy axis is observed. The iron-rich compounds display a ferromagnetic order of the Er sublattice. A new kind of magnetic structure characterized by a sine-wave modulated arrangement with a propagating vector Q = (0, 0, qz) is also observed. The evolution of the magnetic properties (enhancement of the AF character of the (Mn,Fe) sublattice and magnetocrystalline anisotropy of erbium) is discussed.
Keywords
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Materials Science
Metals and Alloys
Authors
J. Bourgeois, G. Venturini, B. Malaman,