  Neutron diffraction and thermodynamics techniques were used to probe the
evolution of the magnetic properties of Tb(Co_{x}Ni_{1-x})_{2}B_{2}C. A
succession of magnetic modes was observed as x is varied: the longitudinal
modulated k=(0.55,0,0) state at x=0 is transformed into a collinear
k=([nicefrac]<LaTeX>\nicefrac{1}{2}</LaTeX>,0,[nicefrac]<LaTeX>\nicefrac{1}{2}</LaTeX>)
antiferromagnetic state at x= 0.2, 0.4; then into a transverse c-axis modulated
k=(0,0,[nicefrac]<LaTeX>\nicefrac{1}{3}</LaTeX>) mode at x= 0.6, and finally
into a simple ferromagnetic structure at x= 0.8 and 1. Concomitantly, the
low-temperature orthorhombic distortion of the tetragonal unit cell at x=0 is
reduced smoothly such that for x >= 0.4 only a tetragonal unit cell is
manifested. Though predicted theoretically earlier, this is the first
observation of the k=(0,0,[nicefrac]<LaTeX>\nicefrac{1}{3}</LaTeX>) mode in
borocarbides; our findings of a succession of magnetic modes upon increasing x
also find support from a recently proposed theoretical model. The implication
of these findings and their interpretation on the magnetic structure of the
RM_{2}B_{2}C series are also discussed.
