Magnetic Susceptibilities of Rare-Earth–Indium Compounds: RIn3

Abstract

The magnetic properties and the lattice parameters for 13 compounds of the composition RIn3 (Cu3Au structure) are reported. The magnetic measurements have been performed between 4.2° and 500°K with magnetic fields up to 30 kOe. With the exception of compounds with R=La, Sm, Y, and Yb Curie–Weiss behavior is observed in the high-temperature region. At low temperatures the magnetic behavior for compounds in which R=Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, and Er is ascribed to antiferromagnetic ordering. In the case of PrIn3 magnetic ordering is prevented by crystalline fields. The splitting of the J = 4 state of Pr3+ by cubic crystalline fields has been calculated for various combinations of fourth- and sixth-order potentials. Possible energy diagrams are presented.