Magnetic ordering of anti-Th<inf>3</inf>P<inf>4</inf>-type R <inf>4</inf>X<inf>3</inf> and Th<inf>3</inf>P<inf>4</inf>-type R <inf>3</inf>X<inf>4</inf> compounds (R = Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, X = Ge, Sb, Te)

The Th3P4-type Ce3Te4 and Nd3Te4 compounds (space group I43d, N° 220) have been investigated by means of magnetization and neutron powder diffraction. The magnetization measurements indicate that Ce3Te 4 and Nd3Te4 order ferromagnetically at ∼5 K and ∼38 K. Neutron diffraction experiments in zero fields show that below their magnetic transition temperatures the Ce3Te4 and Nd3Te4 compounds exhibit a collinear ferromagnetic type ordering with the C3v magnetic point group (wave vector K0 = [0, 0, 0]). Magnetic moment values of 0.66(6) μB/Ce and 2.4 μB/Nd are obtained from the analysis of neutron diffraction data at 1.5 K for Ce3Te4 and Nd3Te4. The earlier reported magnetic structures of the anti-Th3P 4-type Ce4Ge3, Ce4Sb3, Pr4Sb3 and Nd4Sb3 compounds were re-refined and re-assigned in terms of magnetic point groups. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.