Structure and magnetic properties of U2Fe3Ge

摘要

We have identified a new compound of composition U2Fe3Ge, which crystallises in the hexagonal,C14 Laves phase MgZn2 type structure. Fe and Ge occupy randomly the sites of the Zn sublattice. Thelattice volume increases by about 4.3 compared to the parent cubic Laves phase compound UFe2. Themagnetic properties of U2Fe3Ge have been probed by using magnetization, resistivity, heat capacity and57Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy. The compound orders ferromagnetically near 55 K in a state which ismagnetically weaker than in UFe2. The latter is inferred from a lower saturated magnetic moment andhyperfine field at the Fe site. Resistivity shows a T 2 behaviour at low temperatures. Both the coefficient ofthe T 2 term in the resistivity and the Sommerfeld coefficient, __ , in U2Fe3Ge are slightly higher comparedto that in UFe2.