Magnetic behaviour of TbMnFe

Neutron diffraction and Mössbauer measurements have been carried out on the cubic Laves phase intermetallic TbMnFe. The magnetic moment on the transition metal atom is found to be low, 0.2µ _B, at room temperature. This moment is temperature independent down to 10 K. Magnetic moment on the rare earth atom varies from 2.5µ _B at 296 K to 7.27µ _B at 10 K. Mössbauer spectra recorded at 298 K and 78 K have magnetic character but there is a large distribution of hyperfine field values. Both these features arise due to magnetic frustration created in the sample due to the competing ferro and antiferromagnetic interactions between the transition metal atoms.