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 Pr CuO in the temperature range from 1.5 to 300 K. Pr CuO crystallizes with the T′ (Nd CuO )-type structure. We observed antiferromagnetic ordering of the Cu moments below T =(190±2) K in a single crystal and below T =(250±10)K in powder material. The magnetic unit cell dimensions are a =2 a , c =c ;the Cu moments are oriented in the basal plane with a magnetic saturation moment of μ =(0.45±0.12)μ . Pr 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. 2 4 2 4 2 4 N N m o m o Cu B 3