Magnetic structure of the antiferromagnetic Kondo lattice compounds CeRhAl4Si2 and CeIrAl4Si2...

We have investigated the magnetic ground state of the antiferromagnetic Kondo- lattice compounds CeMAl4Si2 (M = Rh, Ir) using neutron powder diffraction. Although both of these compounds show two magnetic transitions TN1 and TN2 in the bulk properties measurements, evidence for magnetic long-range order was only found below the lower transition TN2. Analysis of the diffraction profiles reveals a commensurate antiferromagnetic structure with a propagation vector k= (0, 0, 1/2). The magnetic moment in the ordered state of CeRhAl4Si2 and CeIrAl4Si2 were determined to be 1.14(2) and 1.41(3) μB/Ce, respectively, and are parallel to the crystallographic c direction in agreement with magnetic susceptibility measurements.