Metallurgic, structural and magnetic properties of Ce(Pd1-rRhr)2Si2

We report on investigations of the metallurgic, crystallographic and magnetic properties of the Ce(Pd1-rRhr)(2)Si-2 system. While the as-cast samples show a miscibility gap for 0.3<r<0.7, complete miscibility with a monotonous evolution of the lattice parameters is found in samples annealed at 1200 degrees C. Although both pure compounds order antiferromagnetically at 10 K (r=0) and 36 K (r=1) respectively, our magnetic susceptibility (chi) results indicate a magnetically non-ordered state at intermediate concentrations. The ordering temperature decreases smoothly and continuously on the Pd-rich side, vanishing between r=0.2 and r=0.3. On the Rh-rich side, this decrease is faster and at r=0.8 the long-range magnetic order is replaced by enhanced magnetic fluctuations as evidenced by a broad maximum in chi(T) around 25 K. The orientation-dependent chi of the strongly textured samples indicates an evolution towards an easy-axis system with increasing Rh content. The results are discussed and compared to the related systems Ce(Pd1-xTx)(2)Si-2 (T=Ru and Cu). (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.