Neutron diffraction and Mossbauer study of the magnetic structure of YFe6Sn6

We have used time-of-flight (TOF) neutron powder diffraction, and both Fe-5 7 and Sn-119 Mossbauer spectroscopy over the temperature range 2-600 K to d etermine the magnetic ordering mode of the Fe sublattice in YFe6Sn6. The cr ystal structure is orthorhombic (space group Immm). The Fe sublattice order s antiferromagnetically with a Neel temperature of 558(5) K. The TOF neutro n diffraction patterns obtained at 4 and 293 K show that the antiferromagne tic ordering of the Fe sublattice is along [100] with a propagation vector q=[010]. The magnetic space group is I(P)m'm'm'. This magnetic structure is confirmed by our Sn-119 Mossbauer spectra. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)18408-7].