Magnetic properties of DyAg2Si2 from magnetization, Mossbauer and neutron diffraction experiments

Magnetization, neutron diffraction and Dy-161 Mossbauer measurements on DyAg2Si2 are reported. Below 11 K, DyAg2Si2 orders AF with a sine-modulated structure characterized by a wave vector k(1)=(1, 0.328, 0). A second magnetic transition sets in at similar to 5 K and the low-temperature magnetic structure is described by the coexistence of two wave vectors k(1) (as above) and k(2)=(1/2, 0, 1/2). The Dy moments are in the basal plane in both structures as expected from the positive sign of B-2(0)(similar to 1 K). Metamagnetic behaviour is inferred from the bulk magnetic data which showed that the full Dy moment(similar to 10(mu B)) is reached in a two-step magnetization process.