Suppression of ferromagnetic order by Ag-doping: a neutron scattering investigation on Ce2(Pd1-x Ag x )2In (x = 0.20, 0.50)

A Martinelli; M Giovannini; J G Sereni; C Ritter

doi:10.1088/1361-648X/aac79b

Suppression of ferromagnetic order by Ag-doping: a neutron scattering investigation on Ce₂(Pd_1-x Ag _x )₂In (x = 0.20, 0.50)

J Phys Condens Matter. 2018 Jul 4;30(26):265601. doi: 10.1088/1361-648X/aac79b. Epub 2018 May 24.

Authors

A Martinelli¹, M Giovannini, J G Sereni, C Ritter

Affiliation

¹ SPIN-CNR, C.so Perrone 24, I-16152 Genova, Italy.

PMID: 29794335
DOI: 10.1088/1361-648X/aac79b

Abstract

The ground state magnetic behaviour of Ce₂(Pd_0.8Ag_0.2)₂In and Ce₂(Pd_0.5Ag_0.5)₂In, found in the ferromagnetic branch of Ce₂Pd₂In, has been investigated by neutron powder diffraction at low temperature. Ce₂(Pd_0.8Ag_0.2)₂In is characterized by a ferromagnetic structure with the Ce moments aligned along the c-axis and values of 0.96(2) µ _B. The compound retains the P4/mbm throughout the magnetic transition, although the magnetic ordering is accompanied by a significant decrease of the lattice strain along [0 0 l], suggesting a magnetostructural contribution. The magnetic behaviour of Ce₂(Pd_0.5Ag_0.5)₂In is very different; this compound exhibits an extremely reduced magnetic scattering contribution in the diffraction pattern, that can be ascribed to a different kind of ferromagnetic ordering, with extremely reduced magnetic moments (~0.1 µ _B) aligned along [0 l 0]. These results point to a competition between different types of magnetic correlations induced by Ag-substitution, giving rise to a magnetically frustrated scenario in Ce₂(Pd_0.5Ag_0.5)₂In.