Low temperature magnetostriction and magnetization of RE x Y1?x Pd3-alloys

Abstract

Low temperature magnetostriction and magnetization measurements are reported for the series of RE x Y1−xPd3 alloys and for some REPd3 compounds. The magnetostriction per Rare Earth ion is nearly independent of concentration and conserves volume at low fields. In both the alloys and compounds with the heavy Rare Earths and with Nd the magnetostriction tends to saturate at high fields together with the magnetization. The saturated quadrupolar magnetostriction as extracted from these data via the Callen projection, is of order a few times 10−3 per Rare Earth ion. Sign and magnitude of this quadrupole do not correlate with the Stevens factor. The results are discussed in terms of aspherical screening of the nuclear charge from the outer valence electrons by the intervening 4f charge distribution.