1. Laboratorium für Festk?rperphysik, ETH-Zürich, Schafmattstrasse 16, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland 2. Faculty of Science, Osaka University, Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka, 560, Japan
Abstract:
We report a study of the low-temperature high-pressure phase diagram of the intermetallic compound PrCu2, by means of molecular-field calculations and 63,65Cu nuclear-quadrupole-resonance (NQR) measurements under pressure. The pressure-induced magnetically-ordered phase can be
accounted for by considering the influence of the crystal electric field on the 4f electron orbitals of the Pr3+ ions and by introducing a pressure-dependent exchange interaction between the corresponding local magnetic moments. Our experimental
data suggest that the order in the induced antiferromagnetic phase is incommensurate. The role of magnetic fluctuations both
at high and low pressures is also discussed.