Magnetic hyperfine field splitting in the Zintl phase Eu2Mg4Si3

Eu2Mg4Si3 = (2Eu(2+))(4Mg(2+))(3Si(4-)) is an electronprecise Zintl phase. Its Hf2Co4P3-type structure contains three crystallographically independent europium sites. The divalent state of europium was manifested through Eu-151 Mossbauer spectroscopy. In the paramagnetic regime (T = 78 K) the isomer shifts range from -9.16 to -11.29 mm s(-1). Eu2Mg4Si3 shows complex magnetic hyperfine field splitting at T = 5.7 K with a superposition of three subspectra with magnetic hyperfine fields of 5.4 (Eu2), 20.4 (Eu1) and 22.4 (Eu3) T.