A magnetic study of the CeScSi-type RZrSb compounds (R=Gd–Tm). Large coercive field at low temperature in TbZrSb and DyZrSb

Abstract

X-ray single crystal refinement performed on the GdZrSb and HoZrSb compounds confirms the CeScSi-type structure for the RZrSb series. Spontaneous magnetization is detected for all the studied compounds (5 K (TmZrSb)< T C<61 K (TbZrSb)). Both TbZrSb and DyZrSb compounds exhibit a second magnetic transition at low temperature (29 and 21 K, respectively). Large coercive field is measured for these last compounds below the second magnetic transition temperature.