Neutron diffraction study of ternary nitrides of the type R2Fe17N<i>x</i>

Abstract

We have carried out neutron diffraction measurements on powder samples of Nd2Fe17Nx and Y2Fe17Nx at room temperature. The refinements of the neutron data indicate that the nitrogen atoms occupy the 9e interstices in the nitride Nd2Fe17Nx (Th2Zn17 type, R3̄m) or the 6h interstices in the nitride Y2Fe17Nx (Th2Ni17 type, P63/mmc), respectively. At room temperature, both Nd2Fe17Nx and Y2Fe17Nx adopt a magnetic structure in which the easy magnetization direction is perpendicular to the c axis. Using the above results, we have briefly discussed the effect of a nitrogenation on the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the Sm sublattice of Sm2Fe17Nx.