A study of the high temperature spin reorientation in YCoFe3B

• Published in: Journal of physics. Condensed matter 2009-05, Vol.21 (18), p.186001-186001 (7)
• Main Authors: Grandjean, Fernande, Sougrati, Moulay T, Mayot, Hervé, Isnard, Olivier, Long, Gary J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Condensed Matter; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Exact sciences and technology; Magnetic properties and materials; Magnetic resonances and relaxations in condensed matter, mössbauer effect; Materials Science; Mössbauer effect; other γ-ray spectroscopy; Physics; Spin arrangements in magnetically ordered materials (including neutron and spin-polarized electron studies, synchrotron-source x-ray scattering, etc.)
• ISSN: 0953-8984; 1361-648X
• DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/21/18/186001

The iron-57 Mossbauer spectra of YCoFe3B have been measured between 4.2 and 480 K and reveal that YCoFe3B exhibits an axial orientation of the iron magnetic moments below 450 K and a basal orientation above 450 K. This spin reorientation, also observed in the thermomagnetic curves, results from the different signs of the contributions to the magnetic anisotropy of the 2c and 6i sites that are occupied by iron. The neutron diffraction patterns of YCoFe3B have been measured at 2 K and between 290 and 770 K and have been successfully analyzed with a model compatible with the magnetic orientation obtained from the Mossbauer spectra. The hybridization between the cobalt or iron 3d orbitals and the boron 2p orbitals leads to a larger magnetic moment and hyperfine field on the 2c site as compared to the 6i site.