Crystal Fields and the Magnetic Properties of Praseodymium and Neodymium

Abstract

The magnetic properties of Pr and Nd single crystals have been studied by neutron-diffraction and susceptibility measurements. In contrast to earlier results on polycrystals, monocrystalline Pr is found not to be magnetically ordered, because of crystal field effects, but a magnetic field induces a large moment. Anisotropic effective exchange results in a large magnetic anisotropy. The complex magnetic structure of Nd is substantially modified by a magnetic field.