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Structure and unusual magnetic properties of YbMn0.17Si1.88
Sebastian C Peter1, Christos D Malliakas, Mercouri G Kanatzidis
1Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, 2145 N. Sheridan Road, Evanston, Illinois 60208-3113, United States.
Abstract:
YbMn0.17Si1.88 was synthesized from the reaction of ytterbium, manganese, and silicon using indium as a flux. The average structure of YbMn0.17Si1.88 was refined in the monoclinic space group P21, with a = 4.0107(8) Å, b = 3.8380(8) Å, c = 14.458(3) Å, β = 97.97(3)°, R1/wR2 = 0.0296/0.0720. The structure can be described as the intergrowth of three AlB2-type layers and one BaAl4-type layer. Magnetic susceptibility measurements suggest that the ytterbium atoms in YbMnxSi2-x exist in a mixed valent or intermediate valent state. YbMn0.17Si1.88 shows weak antiferromagnetic ordering below ∼4.5 K. The magnetic interactions between the Mn and Yb atoms in YbMn0.17Si1.88 are evident from the magnetic susceptibility measurements performed at low field. A negative magnetization is observed on warming and a positive magnetization on cooling. The heat capacity data suggest moderate heavy fermion behavior.
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