Neutron diffraction study of magnetic structure of U 3Bi 4 and U 3Sb 4

Abstract

Experiments using polarized and unpolarized neutrons have been performed on single crystals of U 3Bi 4 and U 3Sb 4. A magnetic structure with a [0 0 1] easy axis and two types of uranium sites having different values of the moment was found for both the compounds. The appearance of such a structure is ascribed to a low local symmetry of the U-ion environment and hybridisation-mediated two-ion interactions.