Pressure induced helimagnetism in Fe-based (Y 2Fe 17, Lu 2Fe 17) intermetallic compounds

The helimagnetic ground state was induced in the hexagonal Y ₂Fe ₁₇ and Lu ₂Fe ₁₇ intermetallics by hydrostatic pressure above 1.05 and 0.3 GPa, respectively. The observed incommensurate helical structure was characterized by a propagation vector (0 0 τ _z) and by a metamagnetic transition at the critical field H_c. The new incommensurate magnetic structure has been revealed now in Lu ₂Fe ₁₇ at magnetic fields above H_c at low temperatures. A detailed pressure-temperature-field evolution of the magnetic structures in Y ₂Fe ₁₇ and Lu ₂Fe ₁₇ is presented.