Synthesis and magnetic properties of Pr(Fe1-xCox)2 and Pr1-yTby (Fe0.4Co0.6)2 alloys

• Published in: Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing Materials science & processing, 2004-04, Vol.78 (7), p.1085-1088
• Main Authors: TANGS, S. L, LI, H. B, ZHANG, P, WANG, D. H, LU, M, DU, Y. W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alloys; Applied sciences; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Curie temperature; Diffraction; Domain effects, magnetization curves, and hysteresis; Exact sciences and technology; Lattice parameters; Magnetic properties; Magnetic properties and materials; Magnetization; Magnetization curves, magnetization reversal, hysteresis, barkhausen and related effects; Magnetomechanical and magnetoelectric effects, magnetostriction; Magnetostriction; Metals. Metallurgy; Physics; X-rays
• ISSN: 0947-8396; 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/s00339-003-2171-z

Measurement of X-ray diffraction, magnetization and magnetostriction was made on the Pr(Fe1-xCox)2 (x=0.,0.5 and 0.6) and Pr1-yTby(Fe0.4Co0.6)2 (y=,0.,0.2 and 0.3) alloy series. It was found that a cubic phase with the MgCu2 structure can be obtained in the Pr(Fe1-xCox)2 series only at x=0.6. The Pr1-yTby(Fe0.4Co0.6)2 system has the cubic MgCu2 structure over the studied range for y. The lattice constant and magnetization decrease and the Curie temperature increases with increasing y. At 7 K, Pr1-yTby(Fe0.4Co0.6)2 samples are found to have huge intrinsic coercivities, which are associated with narrow domain walls. It is also found from X-ray measurement that in Pr1-yTby(Fe0.4Co0.6)2 the spontaneous magnetostriction {/content/UGPQ0KVXXWXXWM40/xxlarge955.gif}111 increases due to Tb substitution, while the saturation magnetostriction {/content/UGPQ0KVXXWXXWM40/xxlarge955.gif}s is much lower than {/content/UGPQ0KVXXWXXWM40/xxlarge955.gif}111. This can be attributed to the large value of {/content/UGPQ0KVXXWXXWM40/xxlarge955.gif}100 with an opposite sign to {/content/UGPQ0KVXXWXXWM40/xxlarge955.gif}111, which may be caused by the filling of the d band due to Co substitution.