Magnetic phase diagrams of the CrB- and FeB-type HoSi compounds

The temperature magnetic phase diagrams of the dimorphic HoSi compound were studied by neutron diffraction. The sample comprises 35.5% CrB- (Cmcm) and 64.5% FeB-type (Pnma) of structure. Both phases order antiferromagnetically below T_N=25 K and undergo first-order magnetic transitions at T_ic=16.5 K. Their T-phase diagrams comprise a low temperature (LT) 2.7 K−T_ic and a high temperature (HT) range T_ic−T_N with distinct wave vectors.The LT magnetic ordering of the CrB-type HoSi with the wave vector q₁=(1/2, 0, 1/2) corresponds to a uniaxial magnetic structure, with the Ho moments along the shortest axis c. At 2.7 K the ordered moment value is 8.6(2) μ_B/Ho atom. The HT ordering, described by the wave vector q₂=(q_2x, 0, q_2z) with a T-variable length, corresponds to an amplitude modulated structure.The magnetic ordering of the FeB-type HoSi requires two symmetry independent vectors q₃=(0, q_3y, q_3z) for the LT- and q₄=(q_4x, q_4y, 0) for the HT range. Both vectors correspond to sine wave modulated structures with the Ho magnetic moments confined along the shortest axis b. The q₃ vector has an almost invariable length vs. T close to ≈(0, 9/17, 1/11). At 2.7 K the amplitude of the wave is 10.9(1) μ_B/Ho atom. At T_icq₃ jumps to the wave vector q₄=(q_4x, q_4y, 0) with a T-variable length. At 17 K q₄=(0.092(1), 0.538(3), 0). Around T_ic there is a narrow coexistence range of the q₃ and q₄ competing phases. Various models are discussed and compared with the isomorphic RSi (R=rare earth) compounds counterparts of HoSi, a comparison that has led us to briefly review the magnetic structures available in the literature for this interesting class of compounds.