CRYSTAL STRUCTURE AND MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF SOLID SOLUTIONS IN THE Tm-Ge-Si SYSTEM

Solid solutions in the Tm-Ge-Si system have been studied by X-ray diffraction data and magnetic susceptibility (MS) techniques. It was found that the crystal structure of the alloys corre sponds to the hexagonal type AlB2 , in which tri-capped trigonal prism coordination is observed for the small atoms (Si, Ge). The results of MS measurements as a function of temperature (80-800 K) and magnetic field (0.5-4.0 kOe) show the existence of a field-independent paramagnetic component well described by the Curie-Weiss law. The magnetic characteristics of the materials (Weiss parameter, effective magnetic moment per formula unit and Curie constant) were also determined.