Magnetic properties of rare-earth metal tritellurides RTe3 (R=Ce,Pr,Nd,Gd,Dy) -: art. no. 144417

The magnetic properties of RTe3 (R=Ce, Pr, Nd, Gd, Dy), which has a structure consisting of the alternate stacking of one RTe layer and two Te layers, were investigated using magnetization and electrical resistivity measurements. The magnetic transition temperatures were found at 3.0 K for R=Ce, 3.2 K for Nd, 11.5 K for Gd, and 4.5 K for Dy, respectively, and the Pr compound showed van Vleck paramagnetism. The ordered magnetic moment of RTe3 lies within the layer. In contrast, the ordered magnetic moments of RTe2, having alternate stacking of one RTe and one Te layer, point to the layer-stacking direction, although the point symmetry at the R site and the coordination of the Te atoms to the R atoms are almost the same. The difference of the magnetic anisotropy in RTe2 and RTe3 was discussed in terms of the effective charge of the Te atoms in the Te layer with an electron charge transferred from the RTe layer. We propose magnetic compounds designed by charge introduction based on this result.