Susceptibilite paramagnetique anisotrope de monocristaux d'oxyds Nd2O3 et LaxNd2−xO3

Single crystals of neodymium oxide Nd₂O₃ and of a solid solution La_{0, 4}Nd_{1, 6}O₃ both with hexagonal A structure were obtained by Verneuil process adapted to plasma torch. Paramagnetic susceptibilities measurements were performed on these crystals at constant temperatures (5, 77 and 300 K) with various orientations of the magnetic field with regard to crystallographic axes. The curves are of the type X = A + B cos 2 θ. Variations of susceptibility versus temperature in the range 5–300 K clearly show an anisotropy. The perpendicular susceptibility varies roughly according to a Curie-Weiss law, whereas the variation of parallel susceptibility may be explained by an evolution of Nd³⁺ magnetic moment due to crystal field at low temperatures.