The role of disorder in the phase diagram of the CeNi1-xCux system

We discuss the compositional and temperature-phase diagram of the CeNi1-xCu x system where non-magnetic, ferromagnetic. antiferromagnetic and spin glas s-like stares have been found. The substitutional disorder on the Ni/Cu sit e plays a major role to understand such complex magnetic-phase diagram. A m agnetically inhomogeneous spin glass-like state is observed and its stabili ty range depends on the competition between magnetocrystalline anisotropies (at random and coherent) and exchange interactions. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scie nce B.V. All rights reserved.