Anomalous temperature dependence of the magnetic field induced antiferromagnetic moment in the antiferroquadrupolar ordered state of CeB6.

The magnetic field induced antiferromagnetic moment M(AF) at low magnetic fields in the antiferroquadrupolar (AFQ) ordered phase of CeB6 was investigated by elastic neutron diffraction experiments for H parallel [110]. The peak intensity at the AF magnetic reciprocal point (1 / 2,1 / 2,1 / 2) corresponding to M(2)(AF) increases with decreasing temperature below the AFQ ordering temperature T(Q), and exhibits a broad maximum at T approximately 3 K and decreases with a further decrease of temperature. This unusual behavior of M(AF) at low fields is explained as a result of the competition between the AF-octupolar and AF-exchange interactions in the O(xy) type AFQ ordered state.