Magnetic structure of the antiferromagnetic Kondo stannide Ce2Ni2Sn

Magnetization and electrical resistivity measurements on the Ce<INF>2</INF> Ni<INF>2</INF>Sn ternary stannide suggest the occurrence of antiferromagnet ic ordering below T<INF>N</INF> = 4.7 K. Neutron powder diffraction (NPD) s hows that Ce<INF>2</INF>Ni<INF>2</INF>Sn is magnetically ordered at T = 1.5 K: magnetic Bragg peaks can then be indexed with a commensurate wave vecto r, k = (0 0 1/2), and the Ce,Ni,Sn magnetic structure described as a collin ear arrangement of Ce-moments. Two components of the Ce-magnetic moment M o nly are obtained from NPD, which are respectively parallel (M<INF></INF>) a nd perpendicular (M<INF>perpendicular to</INF>) to k (M<INF>perpendicular t o</INF> = 0.335(10) mu<INF>B</INF>) The value of the resulting magnetic mom ent M is a function of the orientation of M<INF>perpendicular to</INF> with in (a, b) plane and lies in the interval 0.41(5) less than or equal to M le ss than or equal to 0.53(5)mu<INF>B</INF>/Ce<SUP>3+</SUP>, far below <INF>g j</INF>J = 2.14 mu<INF>B</INF>/Ce<SUP>3+</SUP>. (C) 1999 Published by Elsev ier Science B.V. All rights reserved.