Strongly anisotropic and complex magnetic behavior in EuRhGe3

Single crystals of EuRhGe3 were studied by means of magnetic susceptibility, magnetization, heat capacity, resistivity and magnetoresistance measurements, performed in wide ranges of temperature and magnetic field strength. The compound was characterized as a Curie-Weiss paramagnet, due to divalent Eu ions, that orders antiferromagnetically at T-N = 11.3 K. In the ordered state, EuRhGe3 exhibits strong magnetic anisotropy. The magnetic moments are probably nearly confined within the ab plane of the tetragonal crystallographic unit cell, and the magnetic propagation vector is likely perpendicular to this plane. The bulk thermodynamic and transport data concordantly suggest that in zero magnetic field the magnetic structure of EuRhGe3 is incommensurate with the chemical one and bears an amplitude-modulated character. In external magnetic field applied within the easy magnetization plane, two other magnetic structures were detected, each of them having an antiferromagnetic nature. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.