Magnetism of compounds with a layered crystal structure

This review presents the results of investigations of the crystal structure, magnetic ordering, magnetic anisotropy, and magnetic phase transformations in compounds of the RT2Z2 and RT6Z6 type (R is a rare-earth metal; T is a transition metal; and Z = Si, Ge, or Sn) and also in intercalated dichalcogenides of transition metals, such as MxTX2 and RxTX2. A specific feature of these compounds is a layered character of their crystal structures, in which the atoms that have a magnetic moment are located in separate crystallographic layers. Inside the layers of magnetic atoms and between the layers, there act different (in energy) exchange interactions of different type, which leads to a variety of magnetic structures and magnetic phase transitions in these compounds and makes them suitable objects for the investigation of physical phenomena inherent in quasi-two-dimensional magnetic systems.