Magnetic and transport properties of EuNi(Si1-xGex)3compounds

The magnetization M, electrical resistivity ρ, thermopower S and specific heat C of EuNi(Si1-xGex)3 compounds have been measured at temperatures from 2 to 300 K. For the compounds of EuNi(Si1-xGex)3, we obtained an effective magnetic moment of μeff ~ 7.7 μB, which is close to the divalent Eu value of μeff =7.94 μB. All compounds of EuNi(Si1-xGex)3 order antiferromagnetically. The Neel temperature TN decreases monotonously with increasing the Ge concentration x from TN=49 K for EuNiSi3 to TN=14 K for EuNiGe3. In the low temperature region below TN, anomalies corresponding to an additional magnetic phase transition into ferromagnetic state for compounds with x 0.3 were observed. The Curie temperature TC rapidly decreases with increasing x and vanishes at x ≈ 0.3. It is found that the magnetic phase transition temperatures of TN and TC in EuNi(Si1-xGex)3 are strongly connected with the change of volume induced by the atomic substitution of Si by Ge.