Magnetic Characteristics of Lanthanide Elements Combined with Tin, Lead, and Indium

Abstract

The magnetic behavior of CeIn3, CePb3, and the series of compounds represented by the formula LnSn3 with Ln=Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, and Gd has been investigated over the temperature range 2° to 300°K. Curie—Weiss behavior was observed in the upper portion of the temperature range for all compounds except SmSn3, and effective moments were in close agreement with those expected for the free tripositive ions. The behavior for SmSn3 is attributed to contribution of the first excited multiplet (J=7/2). Néel points were observed for CeIn3, PrSn3, NdSn3, and SmSn3. Deviations from Curie—Weiss behavior at low temperatures were observed in all cases and were ascribed to antiferromagnetic ordering, crystal-field effects, and ionization of Ce in the Ce compounds into the quadripositive state. GdSn3 is complex in that it shows deviation from Curie—Weiss below 40°K but it has no susceptibility peak.