Magnetization of Cubic Laves Phase Compounds of Rare Earths with Cobalt

Abstract

These compounds are strongly magnetic. For the heavier rare earths, the gross magnetic moment appears to arise from opposed alignment of the rare earth and the cobalt atoms. If we assume the rare earths to have characteristic localized magnetic moments $\mathrm{Jg}$, the moments on the cobalt atoms are about 1.7 \ensuremath{\mu}B in the Tb, Dy, Ho, and Er compounds, a little less in the Gd compound, and zero in the Pr, Nd, and Sm compounds. The basic coupling mechanism is that of indirect exchange through the conduction electrons between rare-earth spins.