Magnetic properties and antiferromagnetic Cu ordering in Pr2CuO4

Abstract

Bulk-magnetisation measurements and neutron-scattering experiments were performed both on a polycrystalline sample and on a single-crystal of Pr2CuO4 in the temperature range from 1.5 to 300 K. Pr2CuO4 crystallizes with the T′ (Nd2CuO4)-type structure. We observed antiferromagnetic ordering of the Cu moments below TN=(190±2) K in a single crystal and below TN=(250±10)K in powder material. The magnetic unit cell dimensions are am=2 ao, cm=co;the Cu moments are oriented in the basal plane with a magnetic saturation moment of μCu=(0.45±0.12)μB. Pr3+ does not order magnetically above 1.5K due to its crystal-field induced singlet ground state as verified by inelastic neutron scattering. © 1989 Springer-Verlag