Spin-slip structure induced by the crystalline electric field in the incommensurate magnetic ordering of CePtSn

While neutron scattering shows incommensurate magnetic Bragg peaks in CePtS n and CePdSn, zero-field muon-spin relaxation (ZF-mu SR) displays coherent oscillations indicating local commensurate ordering. To reconcile these, we had suggested spin-slip structure similar to that in holmium metal. Kadowa ki has demonstrated some examples of this that are consistent with the neut ron data. Numerical modeling shows that, given a simple incommensurate orde ring mechanism, represented by a spiraling effective field at the cerium si tes, the known Ce crystalline electric field (CEF) in CePtSn will generate that kind of spin-slip structure. Further numerical modeling shows that suc h CEF spin-slip structures generate field distributions at the muon sites w ith sharp peaks generally consistent with the coherent oscillations observe d in mu SR. CePdSn is likely to behave in a similar manner. (C) 2000 Elsevi er Science B.V. All rights reserved.