USING NEUTRON DIFFRACTION AND MÖSSBAUER SPECTROSCOPY TO STUDY MAGNETIC ORDERING IN THE R3T4Sn4 FAMILY OF COMPOUNDS

Abstract

We review the complementary roles that 119Sn Mössbauer spectroscopy and neutron diffraction are playing in developing a complete description of magnetic ordering in the R 3 Cu 4 Sn 4 and R 3 Ag 4 Sn 4 intermetallic compound series. We show that the two techniques yield consistent pictures of the order, and in many cases both are essential to obtaining a complete description. The recent neutron diffraction work on Sm 3 Cu 4 Sn 4, Sm 3 Ag 4 Sn 4 and Gd 3 Ag 4 Sn 4 is highlighted.