Magnetic structure of Tb2CuGe3

Ternary Tb2CuGe3 intermetallic compound is investigated by means of neutron diffraction and low-temperature magnetization measurements. This compound is an antiferromagnet with the Néel temperature equals 19.5 K. At 1.5 K the Tb magnetic moments equal 8.73(17) μB and lie in a–b plane and form a sine-wave modulated structure. This type of the magnetic ordering is stable up to the Néel temperature. This result is in contradiction with the results obtained from macroscopic method which suggest the multiple magnetic transitions and anomalous magnetism in this compound [Solid State Commun. 117 (2001) 645].