EVOLUTION OF THE MAGNETIC-BEHAVIOR ON PRNI1-XCUX - EFFECT OF THE CRYSTAL ELECTRIC-FIELD AND THE EXCHANGE INTERACTIONS

The properties of PrNi1-xCux compounds have been studied using X-ray a nd neutron powder diffraction, electrical resistivity and magnetizatio n measurements. The FeB type crystallographic structure is stabilized for 0.2 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 1, with an incre ase of the cell volume for the increasing Cu content.The ferromagnetic behaviour observed for x less than or equal to 0.8 changes to antifer romagnetism for x = 0.9 (T-N = 5.5 K), while for PrCu a nonmagnetic gr ound state has been found down to 2 K. This evolution is understood as a consequence of the modification of both magnetic interactions and C EF splitting in these high anisotropic compounds. (C) 1998 Elsevier Sc ience B.V. All rights reserved.