Neutron diffraction measurement and the magnetic structure of the HoNi compound

Abstract

In order to determine the magnetic structure of the HoNi intermetallic compound, a neutron diffraction measurement was carried out using a single crystal of HoNi in the temperature range from 4.2 to 78 K. At 78 K the Bragg reflections are only due to coherent nuclear scattering from the Ho and Ni atoms and the discrepancy factor R was 3%. Below 35 K the magnetic scatterings of the (102) and (201) lines increase rapidly with decreasing temperature. Below 15 K the intensity of (200) line increases rapidly with decreasing temperature, indicating that the ferromagnetic y component occurs in this temperature region. The intensity of the (100) line is zero at 78 K and very strong at 20 and 4.2 K, indicating that the antiferromagnetic z component exists at these temperatures. From these results, the magnetic structure of HoNi compound was determined.