Magnetic properties of Gd5T3 intermetallic compounds (T=Si,Ge,Sn)

We report on the magnetic properties of the compounds Gd5T3 (T=Si,Ge,Sn), as obtained from DC magnetisation measurements in applied fields up to 90 kOe and in a temperature range between 3 and 300 K. The low temperature magnetisation data of the three phases indicate antiferromagnetic ordering, in the paramagnetic state, all the compounds follow the Curie Weiss law with positive paramagnetic Curie temperatures. At 5 K and 90 kOe a decreasing magnetic moment across the series was found ranging from 4,1 mu(B)/Gd atom for Gd5Si3 to 2.44 mu(B)/Gd atom for Gd5Sn3. Finally for the compounds with Si and Ge a spin flop transition was observed in the DC magnetisation measurements with, at 5 K, H-er = 48 kOe for Gd5Si3 and H-er = 68 kOe for Od(5)Ge(3). (C) 2002 Elsevier Science BY. All rights reserved.