Magnetic behavior of holmium-platinum group metal-germanium ternary alloys

Abstract A series of selected ternary holmium germanides with platinum group metals was synthesized and characterized by room temperature X-ray powder diffraction: Ho 3 (Ru,Os) 4 Ge 13 (Y 3 Co 4 Ge 13 -type). Ho 2 (Ru,Os)Ge 2 (Sc 2 CoSi 2 -type), Ho(Ru,Pd 1 ) 2 Ge 2 (CeGa 2 Al 2 -type), Ho(Ru,Ir,Pt)Ge (TiNiSi-type), HoAuGe (LiGaGe-type), Ho 2 Ru 3 Ge 5 (U 2 Co 3 Si 5 -type), Ho 3 Ru 2 Ge 3 (Hf 3 Ni 2 Si 3 -type), Ho 5 Os 4 Ge 10 (Sc 5 Co 4 Si 10 -type). Ho 3 Pd 4 Ge 4 (Gd 3 Cu 4 Ge 4 -type) and HoPdGe (CeCu 2 -type). Magnetic measurements of the HoMGe compounds revealed that Ho 3 (Ru,Os) 4 Ge 13 , Ho 5 Os 4 Ge 10 , HoPtGe and HoPt 2 Ge 2 are paramagnets above T = 4.5 K. Ho 2 Ru 3 Ge 5 , HoRuGe, Ho 3 Pd 4 Ge 4 and HoAuGe are ferromagnets. HoRu 2 Ge 2 and HoPd 2 Ge 2 are metamagnets. Ho 2 (Ru,Os)Ge 2 , Ho 3 Ru 2 Ge 3 , HoIrGe as well as HoPdGe undergo an antiferromagnetic ordering at higher temperatures, whereas a spin reorientation to a ferromagnetic spin alignment occurs at lower temperatures. No superconductivity was observed down to around 2 K.