MAGNETIC-PROPERTIES OF ERPD2SI2 FROM MAGNETIZATION MOSSBAUER AND NEUTRON-DIFFRACTION MEASUREMENTS

Magnetization, neutron diffraction-and Er-166 Mossbauer measurements on ErPd2Si2 are reported. Below 4.8 K ErPd2Si2 orders AF with complex modulated magnetic structures, where the Er moments are aligned along the c-axis. At 1.5 K a squared structure with mu(Er) almost-equal-to 7.8(1)mu(B) is found while a saturation Er moment of 8.2(2)mu(B) is inferred from the hyperfine field data. The temperature dependence of the Mossbauer spectra in the paramagnetic region is explained in the framework of a relaxation model implying excited crystal field levels. Its analysis is used to estimate the B(n)m CEF parameters.