Magnetic phase diagram of ErNi2B2C

✍ Scribed by A. Jensen; K. Nørgaard Toft; A.B. Abrahamsen; N.H. Andersen; J. Jensen; P. Hedegård; J. Klenke; K. Prokes; P. Smeibidl; S. Danilkin; V. Sikolenko; M.R. Eskildsen; P.C. Canfield

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 274 KB
• Volume: 408-410
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0921-4534
• DOI: 10.1016/j.physc.2004.02.169

✦ Synopsis

The magnetic phase diagram of the superconductor ErNi 2 B 2 C (T c ¼ 11 K and T N ¼ 6 K) has been studied by neutron diffraction as a function of temperature and magnetic field applied along the symmetry directions [0 1 0], [1 1 0] and [0 0 1] of the tetragonal crystal structure. A series of commensurate magnetic structures, consistent with a transversely polarized spin-density wave with modulation vectors Q ¼ n=ma à ð0:55 6 n=m < 0:60Þ and the spins along b à , have been observed. The experimental data are compared with the results of a mean-field model that has been established from an analysis of bulk magnetization and zero-field neutron diffraction data. The model accounts for most of the observed features but fails to explain the occurrence of a small component Q d % À0:005b à observed close to H c2 when the field is applied along [1 1 0].