Magnetic ordering in the rhombohedral α-DyGa3

Abstract

We have succeeded in growing α-DyGa3 single crystals by the self-flux method and determined its magnetic structure by neutron powder diffraction. α-DyGa3 crystallizes in the rhombohedral SrSn3-type structure (R3̅m, #166, hR48), and the magnetic sublattice is comprised of staggering layers of triangular lattice of Dy. Magnetic ordering occurs below TN ~ 7.2 K with the magnetic propagation vector k = (1/2, 0, 1/2), results in an alternating stripe antiferromagnetic structure in the ab-plane described by the magnetic space group CC2/c (BNS #15.90, origin at (0, 0, 0)). At 3.5 K, the magnetic moment is 5.72(12) μB per Dy3+. The Dy3+ spins are lying in basal plane and perpendicular to the b-axis. © 2024 Elsevier B.V