Crystal Structure and Magnetic Properties of High‐Pressure Phases RESi₃ (RE=Tb, Dy, Er, Tm)

Abstract

The new metastable binary rare‐earth metal trisilicides RESi3 (RE = Tb, Dy, Er, and Tm) are obtained by high‐pressure high‐temperature synthesis (9.5 GPa, 823‐923 K). Powder diffraction data refinements reveal that their crystal structure is isotypic to that of YbSi3, and the values of cell parameters and cell volumes decrease from Tb to Tm. Magnetic measurements on the compounds indicate Curie‐Weiss paramagnetic behavior and antiferromagnetic ordering at low temperatures. The values for TN follow a de Gennes scaling indicating coupling of the magnetic moments via conduction electrons. Upon heating at ambient pressure, the RESi3 compounds decompose into Si and RESi2‐x.