HIGH-RESOLUTION MAGNETIC-X-RAY DIFFRACTION FROM NEODYMIUM

High-resolution studies of antiferromagnetic ordering have been made o n the rare-earth metal neodymium, using resonant magnetic diffraction at x-ray energies near the L(II) and L(III) absorption edges. A single domain of the double-q magnetic structure has been observed directly in zero magnetic field. Detailed measurements of the temperature depen dence of the modulation vector over the temperature range 11.5-20 K sh owed no sign of any lock-in to commensurate values. The ordering was f ound to be double q over a wider temperature range than previous measu rements would indicate.