Observation of a Quadruple-<span class="aps-inline-formula"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mi>q</mi></math></span> Magnetic Structure in Neodymium

E. M. Forgan; E. P. Gibbons; K. A. McEwen; D. Fort

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.62.470

Observation of a Quadruple- $q$ Magnetic Structure in Neodymium

E. M. Forgan, E. P. Gibbons, K. A. McEwen, and D. Fort

Phys. Rev. Lett. 62, 470 – Published 23 January 1989

Abstract

Major progress has been made in understanding the complicated magnetic structures exhibited by dhcp neodymium metal. New evidence for the 2-q model of the structure between 19.1 and 9 K has been discovered in neutron-diffraction studies of intermodulation harmonics of the type $2 q_{i} \pm q_{j}$ . We have applied the same technique at 4.5 K and below. From an analysis of the harmonic combinations observed, we propose a new model for the lowest-temperature phase of Nd; it is characterized by a multidomain 4-q structure in which the magnitude and direction of each component wave vector is different.

Received 8 August 1988

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.62.470

Authors & Affiliations

E. M. Forgan¹, E. P. Gibbons², K. A. McEwen³, and D. Fort⁴

¹Department of Physics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom
²Institut Laue-Langevin, 156X, 38042 Grenoble CEDEX, France
³Department of Physics, Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, United Kingdom
⁴Department of Metallurgy and Materials, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, United Kingdom