Magnetic structure of the antiferromagnetic Kondo lattice compounds CeRhAl4Si2 and CeIrAl4Si2

TL;DR

This study used neutron diffraction to determine the magnetic structures of CeRhAl4Si2 and CeIrAl4Si2, revealing antiferromagnetic order below the lower transition with specific magnetic moments aligned along the c-axis.

Contribution

First direct determination of the magnetic structure and moments in CeRhAl4Si2 and CeIrAl4Si2 using neutron diffraction.

Findings

Magnetic order appears only below the lower transition T_N2.

Both compounds exhibit a commensurate antiferromagnetic structure with k=(0,0,1/2).

Magnetic moments are aligned along the c-axis, with magnitudes of 1.14 and 1.41 μ_B.

Abstract

We have investigated the magnetic ground state of the antiferromagnetic Kondo-lattice compounds CeMAl$_{4}$Si$_{2}$ (M = Rh, Ir) using neutron powder diffraction. Although both of these compounds show two magnetic transitions $T_{N1}$ and $T_{N2}$ in the bulk properties measurements, evidence for magnetic long-range order was only found below the lower transition $T_{N2}$. Analysis of the diffraction profiles reveals a commensurate antiferromagnetic structure with a propagation vector $\mathbf{k}$= (0, 0, 1/2). The magnetic moment in the ordered state of CeRhAl$_{4}$Si$_{2}$ and CeIrAl$_{4}$Si$_{2}$ were determined to be 1.14(2) and 1.41(3) $\mu_{B}$/Ce, respectively, and are parallel to the crystallographic $c$-axis in agreement with magnetic susceptibility measurements.