Neutron diffraction studies of R2RhSi3 (R=Dy, Ho, Er) compounds

Powder neutron diffraction and magnetic measurements have been carried out on R2RhSi3 (R=Dy, Ho and Er) compounds at low temperatures. These compounds crystallize in a derivative of the hexagonal AlB2-type structure and are antiferromagnets with the Neel temperatures equal to: 6.3 K for R=Dy, 5.2 K for R=Ho and 5 K for R=Er. Below these temperatures the magnetic order is described by the propagation vector: k =(0,0, 1 2 ) for R=Dy, k =( 1 2 ,0,0 ) for R=Ho and k=(0,0,0) for R=Er. This magnetic order is stable in the temperature range between 1.5 K and the Neel temperature.