Magnetic properties of Ln_2.1Co_16.9Si alloys

Chem. Met. Alloys 1 (2008) 34-37

https://doi.org/10.30970/cma1.0002

W. SUSKI, R. GLADYSHEVSKII, N. VITYK, A. GILEWSKI, T. MYDLARZ, K. WOCHOWSKI

Following up a study of stoichiometric compounds Ln₂Co₁₆Si, we report here magnetic properties of off-stoichiometric Ln_2.1Co_16.9Si alloys, where Ln = La, Ce, Pr, Sm, and Gd. All the investigated compounds were found to crystallize with the rhombohedral Th₂Zn₁₇ type, except the off-stoichiometric Ce compound, which, contrary to the Ce₂Co₁₆Si alloy, was found to adopt the hexagonal Th₂Ni₁₇ type under the experimental conditions. The magnetic properties of polycrystalline samples were investigated in the temperature range 1.9-1100 K in various magnetic fields. The field dependence of the magnetization was studied at T = 1.9 and 4.2 K. As for the stoichiometric compounds, saturation was observed in relatively low magnetic fields. The temperature dependence of the magnetization was measured in a field of 50 Oe between 1.9 and 400 K, and in a magnetic field of 4.83 kOe in the temperature range 300-1100 K. The Curie points of the off-stoichiometric compounds are below 1000 K and do thus not reach those of their stoichiometric homologues. The highest value was observed for the La alloy, indicating competition between the magnetic moments of the Co and lanthanide sublattices.

Magnetization vs. temperature for Ln_2.1Co_16.9Si alloys.

Keywords

Ternary rare-earth silicides / Magnetic properties / Magnetic phase transition / High-magnetic field measurements