Ferromagnetism induced in UCoAl under uniaxial pressure

Abstract

We present the temperature and magnetic-field dependencies of the c-axis magnetization of a UCoAl single crystal under various uniaxial pressures exerted along the c-axis. The main result obtained is the uniaxial-pressure-induced reduction of the critical field of the metamagnetic transition followed by the formation of ferromagnetism at higher uniaxial-pressures. These and other associated results are discussed in comparison with corresponding data obtained by applying hydrostatic pressure on the same material. A scenario considering a variation of the anisotropic 5f-ligand hybridization and its consequences induced by the two different types of applied pressure is an important base for the discussion. The pressure-induced variations of the 5f–3d hybridization within the basal plane of the ZrNiAl-type hexagonal structure seem to be the underlying aspect of the evolution of the magnetism in UCoAl.