Study of CeNi4Mn by neutron diffraction

Abstract

We report neutron diffraction measurements on CeNi4Mn, which has recently been identified as a soft ferromagnet (Tc ~ 140 K) with a sizeable spin-transport polarization. Our data show conclusively that the Mn atoms occupy a unique site (4c) in the unit cell, which has the symmetry of the cubic MgCu4Sn-type structure. We infer a moment of 4.6 mu_B on Mn at 17 K, which is oriented ferromagnetically along the {101} plane. The amplitude of the Mn vibrational motion is found to be larger than that of Ce and Ni atoms at all temperatures, thereby lending support to theoretical prediction of rattling phonon modes in this compound.