Neutron powder diffraction refinement of the nuclear and magnetic structures of HoNi2B2C at R.T., 10, 5.1 and 2.2 K

O. Huang, A. Santoro, T. E. Grigereit, J. W. Lynn, R. J. Cava, J. J. Krajewski, W. F. Peck

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

Abstract

The nuclear and magnetic structures of HoNi2B2C have been investigated by neutron powder diffraction at room temperature and at 10, 5.1 and 2.2K. The compound crystallizes with the symmetry of space group 14/mmm and has room temperature lattice parameters a=3.5170(1) and c=10.5217(3) angstrom. No phase transitions of the nuclear structure have been observed in the range of temperatures examined. Magnetic peaks begin to appear at about 8K. The magnetic structure is the superposition of two configurations, one in which ferromagnetic sheets of holmium spins parallel to the a-b plane are coupled antiferromagnetically along the c-axis, and another in which the ferromagnetic planes are rotated away from the antiparallel configuration to give an incommensurate helicoidal structure with a period approximately equal to twelve times the length of the c-axis. The helicoidal structure competes with superconductivity while the antiferromagnetism coexists with it.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)553-558
Number of pages6
JournalMaterials Research Society Symposium - Proceedings
Volume376
StatePublished - 1995
Externally publishedYes
EventProceedings of the 1994 MRS Fall Meeting - Boston, MA, USA
Duration: Nov 28 1994Dec 1 1994

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Materials Science
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • Mechanical Engineering

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