The magnetic structure of EuCu2Sb2.

ABSTRACT

Antiferromagnetic ordering of EuCu2Sb2 which forms in the tetragonal CaBe2Ge2-type structure (space group P4/nmm #129) has been studied using neutron powder diffraction and (151)Eu Mössbauer spectroscopy. The room temperature (151)Eu isomer shift of -12.8(1) mm s(-1) shows the Eu to be divalent, while the (151)Eu hyperfine magnetic field (B(hf)) reaches 28.7(2) T at 2.1 K, indicating a full Eu(2+) magnetic moment. B(hf)(T) follows a smooth S = 7/2 Brillouin function and yields an ordering temperature of 5.1(1) K. Refinement of the neutron diffraction data reveals a collinear A-type antiferromagnetic arrangement with the Eu moments perpendicular to the tetragonal c-axis. The refined Eu magnetic moment at 0.4 K is 7.08(15) µ(B) which is the full free-ion moment expected for the Eu(2+) ion with S = 7/2 and a spectroscopic splitting factor of g = 2.