MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES OF RNI2SI2 COMPOUNDS (R = RARE-EARTH)

We report an extensive study of the magnetic properties of tetragonal RNi//2Si//2 compounds (R equals Pr, Nd, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm), through resistivity, neutron diffraction, susceptibility and magnetization experiments. All compounds exhibit complex incommensurate antiferromagnetic structures, while a transition occurs in TbNi//2Si//2 between a modulated phase and a simple antiferromagnetic structure, stable at low temperature. The magnitude of the bilinear exchange interactions deviates from the Gennes law and the direction of the ordered magnetic moments presents anomalies across the series, including the probable existence of other types of interactions between the rare earth ions.