The Magnetic Susceptibilities of Some Rare Earth Silicides and Germanides with the <i>D</i>88 Structure

Abstract

The magnetic susceptibilities for neodymium, gadolinium and dysprosium germanides and silicides were measured between about 60° to about 700°K. Plots of 1/χ vs T show a Curie-Weiss behavior, but deviations from it are observed below room temperature. The deviations become smaller with decreasing temperature and in most instances tend to approach the asymptote just above the transition temperature. These compounds have the D88 structure and a ferromagnetic spin ordering for rare earth atoms in the crystallographic 6(g) sites, and an antiferromagnetic ordering in the 4(d) sites is consistent with the observed behavior.