Magnetic and transport properties of HfFe6Ge6-type Er1−xDyxMn6Sn6 (x = 0–0.6) compounds

Abstract

The magnetic and magnetotransport properties of polycrystalline Er1−xDyxMn6Sn6 (x=0–0.6) compounds have been investigated in the temperature interval of 5–435K. The compounds with low Dy concentration (x=0–0.1) show ferrimagnetic and antiferromagnetic behaviors (TN=346–349K). The Dy-rich compounds (x=0.3–0.6) behave ferrimagnetically (TC=365–380K). The intermediate compounds (x=0.2–0.26) display ferrimagnetism, antiferromagnetism, re-entrant ferrimagnetism, and paramagnetism with increasing temperature. In the antiferromagnetic state (x=0–0.26), the transition from antiferromagnetism to ferrimagnetism can be induced by an applied field, and the metamagnetic transition field decreases monotonously with increasing x, such as from 15.5kOe for x=0 to 1.5kOe for x=0.26 at 253K. A large magnetoresistance (MR) effect is observed with the metamagnetic behavior, e.g. MR=−9.7% for x=0 at 125K in a field of 50kOe. It is interestingly observed that the Er1−xDyxMn6Sn6 (x=0 and 0.26) compounds display the positive MR effect in the low-temperature ferrimagnetic state, which is likely due to the scattering of the conduction electrons by the nonmagnetic Sn layers.