On the Neutron Diffraction Study of Cr₂As

Abstract

A powder neutron diffraction study has been made of Cr₂As with the spectrometers at the NRX and NRU reactors of Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. Published magnetic and thermal data show this substance to be an antiferromagnetic with a Néel temperature of 393°K. Antiferromagnetic order along the c axis has been established in the present study by the presence of the magnetic line (00(Remark: Graphics omitted.)). The magnetic line (100) has been found to be present, which shows another type of antiferromagnetic order developed in the c-plane. None of the antiferromagnetic spin structures which were tried in order to explain the observed peak intensities has been completely successful, but the most favorable is that in which Cr(a) moments couple antiferromagnetically within the c-plane.