Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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MA: Fachverband Magnetismus

MA 31: Frustrated Magnets II (joint session MA/TT)

MA 31.11: Talk

Wednesday, March 11, 2026, 12:15–12:30, POT/0361

Crystallographic and magnetic structure of Pr₂PdSi₃: a single crystal neutron diffraction study — •Matthias Frontzek — Neutron Scattering Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA

The intermetallic compound series R₂PdSi₃ (R = rare earth metal) exhibits intriguing magnetic properties, including giant magnetoresistance, pronounced anisotropy in its electronic behavior, and a generic field-induced phase. The magnetic structures are complex, with large magnetic unit cells arising from the delicate interplay between competing crystal electric-field effects, magnetic exchange interactions, and geometric frustration. Recently, the discovery of a Skyrmion lattice in Gd₂PdSi₃ has renewed interest in the magnetic properties of this series.

In our contribution, we present a detailed neutron single crystal diffraction study using the WAND² diffractometer at the High-Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at ORNL. In heavy rare earth members, Pd/Si ordering lowers the symmetry from hexagonal to monoclinic; in contrast, the Pr₂PdSi₃ compound adopts an orthorhombic structure with a 2*a, 2*b, 4*c unit cell relative to the primitive hexagonal cell. Magnetic order setting in at T_N = 2.1K is preceded by broad diffuse scattering around the nuclear reflections, and below T_N a long-wavelength spin-density wave is observed coinciding with the short-range order evidenced by the diffuse scattering.

Keywords: rare earth magnetism; neutron single crystal diffraction; geometrically frustrated magnetism