Magnetic critical behavior in the intermetallic compound (Ce0.65Pr0.35)2Co7

Abstract

Clarification of magnetic phase transition nature and critical behavior is an essential step in the development of new magnetic functional materials. In this work, we studied critical properties of intermetallic compound (Ce0.65Pr0.35)2Co7 by bulk dc magnetization around the paramagnetic to ferromagnetic phase transition. It exhibits a second-order magnetic phase transition with TC = 214 K. Critical exponents β = 0.546(5) and γ = 1.054(5) are obtained by the modified Arrott plot, whereas δ = 2.843 is obtained by a critical isotherm analysis at TC. These critical exponents not only obey the Widom relation δ = 1 + γ/β, but also collapse the isothermal magnetization M-H-T data into two branches below and above TC following the single scaling equation M(H, ε) = εβf±(H/εβ+γ). Although the obtained exponents are close to the theoretical values of mean-field model, a noticeable deviation unable to be ignored, indicating the existence of localized magnetic interaction which competes with a long-range ferromagnetic state. Our results will establish a sound theoretical basis for understanding the complex magnetic interaction in the light rare earths ternary alloy.