Enhanced survival of short-range magnetic correlations and frustrated interactions in intermetallics
Elastic and inelastic neutron scattering and magnetization measurements have been used to study peculiarities of the magnetic state in R{sub 3}T compounds (R=Gd, Er, Tb; T=Ni, Co) below and above magnetic ordering temperatures. A pronounced non-Brillouin shape of the magnetization curves observed in the antiferromagnetic compounds Gd{sub 3}Ni and Tb{sub 3}Ni above their magnetic ordering temperatures together with earlier reported data about the retention of the magnetic contribution to the total specific heat of Gd{sub 3}T and anomalous behavior of the electrical resistivity above magnetic ordering temperatures are ascribed to the existence of short-range magnetic correlations in the wide temperature range in the paramagnetic state. The persistence of short-range magnetic order up to temperatures greater than 5-6 times the Neel temperature has been revealed by powder neutron diffraction measurements performed for Tb{sub 3}Ni and Tb{sub 3}Co. On the other hand, results from inelastic neutron scattering show that the low temperature magnetic excitations are strongly suppressed in both Tb{sub 3}Co and Er{sub 3}Co. It is suggested that the extended short-range magnetic correlations, which turn out to be an inherent feature of R{sub 3}T type compounds, are due to the layered crystal structure and to the difference between geometrically frustrated intra-layer exchangemore » interactions and inter-layer exchange.« less