STRUCTURAL AND MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES OF HEXAGONAL CEPTSB

Structural and magnetic properties of the hexagonal compound CePtSb have been investigated by neutron diffraction, inelastic neutron scattering, electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements between 1.7K and 300K. Rietveld refinement of the powder neutron diffraction data has revealed that CePtSb crystallizes in the hexagonal GaGeLi-type structure with space group P6(3)mc. All the measurements show a ferromagnetic ordering of the Ce moment below 4.5K. Two well defined crystal field transitions were observed by inelastic neutron scattering. The integrated intensities of these transitions requires the presence of an O4(3) term in the crystal field Hamiltonian, as expected for the point symmetry of the P6(3)mc space group.