High magnetic transition temperatures in RScT (R = Pr, Nd and Sm; T = Si and Ge) compounds: multiple spin reorientations in PrScGe

The magnetic behaviour of isotypic compounds RScT (R. = Pr, Nd and Sm; T = Si and Ge) is reported; results are based on magnetisation, low temperature heat capacity and electrical resistivity measurements. The compounds order magnetically with high transition temperatures (higher than the transition temperatures of the corresponding rare-earth elements), SmScGe and SmScSi showing the highest transition temperature of 270 K. PrScSi is antiferromagnetic while rest of the compounds order ferromagnetically with sizeable coercive fields at low temperatures. The coercive fields in both SmScSi and SmScGe are huge, several tens of kOe at 5 K. PrScGe undergoes multiple spin reorientations at 140, 88 and 80 K, the highest two being antiferromagnetic and the lowest ferromagnetic. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.