Abstract
The Ho3Cu4Si4 compound crystallizes with the orthorhombic Gd3Cu4Ge4-type crystal structure, in which the rare earth ions occupy two different crystallographic sites: 2d and 4e. Its complex magnetic properties have been studied by means of magnetization, heat capacity, electrical resistivity and neutron diffraction measurements. The results reveal that the two magnetic sublattices order independently at 19.5 and 5 K for the 2d and the 4e sublattice, respectively. Moreover, the magnetic ordering of the 4e sublattice changes with the temperature, while the ordering of the 2d sublattice remains unperturbed. These findings hint at local interactions being the more probable origin of the observed magnetic orderings than long-range (RKKY) ones. $ This article is dedicated to Professor Jerzy Janik on the occasion of his 80th birthday.
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