Abstract
We explored the crystal structure, magnetic, and transport properties of UNiX2 (X = Ge, Si) materials, which were prepared by a conventional metallurgical technique and by rapid solidification - splat cooling. The UNiSi2 splat is mostly single phase, containing only small traces of a minority phase.
Magnetic and electrical properties of the splat resemble properties of samples, which were prepared by conventional methods, exhibiting a ferromagnetic transition at about 91 K and similar temperature dependence of resistivity. The coercive field of mu H-0(c) = 4.25 T is much enhanced due to the magnetic anisotropy introduced by the sample preparation technique.
The Barkhausen jumps were observed on the hysteresis loop. Magnetization of the sample does not saturate in fields up to mu H-0 = 9 T.
The phase structure of UNiGe2 splat is not completely solved and will be subject of our study in future. Our preliminary results indicate the presence of completely new phase with tetragonal crystal structure and antiferromagnetic ordering below 54 K.