Neutron diffraction and magnetic studies of ErFe3

Abstract
Neutron diffraction experiments have been carried out on the intermetallic compound ErFe3 at 4.2, 77, and 300K. At 4.2K the magnetic structure is collinear and the moments are along c↘. Using the Rietveld profile method, both collinear and noncollinear models gave satisfactory agreement with the neutron data at 77 and 300K. Single crystal magnetization measurements allowed us to resolve this uncertainty in favor of a noncollinear structure at 77K and gave evidence for a basal plane structure at 300 K. At zero field a reorientation of the magnetic moments occurs around Tc?40K. Sharp field induced transitions are observed when the magnetic field is applied either parallel (T≳Tc) or perpendicular (Tc) to c↘. It is argued that the magnetic behavior of ErFe3 results from the variation of the anisotropy constants of ErI, ErII, and Fe atoms with the temperature. We have closely related the field induced transitions and the reorientation of the moments observed at zero field.

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