Magnetization, Young’s moduli, and magnetostriction of rare-earth–iron eutectic alloys with R=Tb0.6Dy0.4

Abstract

Rare-earth–iron alloys, R0.9Fe0.1, R0.72Fe0.28, and R0.42Fe0.58 (R=Tb0.6Dy0.4), containing the R/RFe2 eutectic composition were prepared by Bridgman and free-standing zone-melting techniques. Magnetization measurements were made in fields up to 800 kA/m between 55 and 300 K. A huge increase in magnetization below 210 K occurs as the R component becomes ordered. At low applied magnetic fields there is clear identification of both the ferromagnetic ordering temperature TC and the Néel spiral ordering temperature TN of R. (For Tb0.6Dy0.4, TC=165 K, TN=210 K.) Magnetization and magnetostriction measurements reveal very large magnetocrystalline anisotropies for both the R and the RFe2 components. Unexpectedly, at 77 K, were the rare-earth component of the eutectic system is ordered and the magnetostriction is large (λhγ≳0.6%), the magnetostriction is largest in the samples containing the largest amount of the RFe2 phase. Young’s modulus measurements reveal the reduction in the stiffness with the addition of the softer rare earth to the stiff RFe2 compound.