Magnetic properties of RAlGa compounds

The magnetic moments of the series of intermetallic compounds RAlGa (where R is Nd, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, or Tm) have been measured at temperatures from 4.2 to 300 K in applied fields up to 26 kOe. These compounds form in a trigonal crystal structure and are isostructural with CeCd2 (a distorted AlB2‐type structure). At higher temperatures the reciprocal susceptibility for each compound except the Sm one follows a Curie‐Weiss law; the effective paramagnetic moments are in approximate agreement with those calculated for free tripositive earth ions. The asymptotic Curie temperatures are mostly negative; they do not exhibit de Gennes‐type behavior. The Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho compounds order antiferromagnetically. No magnetic order is observed for the other compounds.