Equiatomic intermetallic compounds REPtMg (RE = Y, Eu, Tb-Tm, Lu) – Structure and magnetism

Abstract

Eight new equiatomic REPtMg intermetallics with RE = Y, Eu, Tb-Tm, Lu were synthesized from the elements in sealed niobium ampoules (induction melting followed by different annealing sequences). All samples were characterized through X-ray powder patterns and the structures of YPtMg, EuPtMg, DyPtMg, HoPtMg and TmPtMg were refined from single crystal X-ray diffractometer data. The REPtMg phases crystallize with two different structure types. The representatives with RE = Y, Tb-Ho crystallize with the hexagonal ZrNiAl type, space group P6¯2m, while those with RE = Eu, Yb and Lu adopt the orthorhombic TiNiSi type, space group Pnma. ErPtMg and TmPtMg are dimorphic with a ZrNiAl type high and a TiNiSi type low-temperature modification. Temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate Pauli paramagnetism for YPtMg and LuPtMg while EuPtMg, TbPtMg, DyPtMg and HoPtMg are Curie-Weiss paramagnets. Antiferromagnetic (TN = 12.6 K for EuPtMg) respectively ferromagnetic ordering (TC = 56.3 K for TbPtMg, 28.8 K for DyPtMg and 19.9 K for HoPtMg) occurs in the low-temperature regime. 151Eu Mössbauer spectra confirm divalent europium (δ = −8.03 mm s−1 at 78 K) in EuPtMg and show strong magnetic hyperfine field splitting below the Néel temperature.