Magnetization and neutron diffraction study of the laves phases SCx TI1-x FE2

Abstract EN

-The evolution, with Sc substitution, of the magnetic properties of the C14 laves phase compounds ScxTit_ xFe2 was studied through magnetization and neutron diffraction on powder and single crystal samples.

For 0.04 < x < 0.2, the magnetic structure, mainly correlated to the Fe (6h) site, is non-collinear with a large antiferromagnetic component along the c-axis, while a weak ferromagnetic component exits in the basal plane and leads to an induced magnetic moment on the Fe (2a) site.

For larger Sc substitution (0.2 x 0.3) a canted spin structure is also obser\>ed, however the antiferromagnetic component is in the basal plane while the ferromagnetic one is along the c-axis.

In both structures, the propagation vector is < / / 0()0j.

The magnetic moment on the Fe (2a) site was found to have a linear dependence with Sc substitution x and vanishes for a critical concentration x = 0.04.

The stability of the different magnetic structures is discussed in terms of competition between magnetic anisotropy, exchange interactions and Fe moment instability in frustrated lattices.