Structure and magnetic properties of Tm2Fe17−xGax compounds

Abstract

Crystal-structure studies on Tm2Fe17−xGax (x=0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8) compounds have shown that the prepared samples are single phase with the 2:17-type structure. Both the unit-cell volume and the saturation magnetization at 1.5 K decrease linearly with increasing Ga content. The Curie temperature is found to increase with increasing x; it goes through a maximum value of 485 K at about x=3 to lower values and then it rises again. The Tm2Fe17−xGax compounds exhibit a spin–reorientaiton transition at low temperature. X-ray diffraction measurements on magnetically aligned Tm2Fe17−xGax powders show that the compounds with x⩽6 have the easy-plane type of magnetic anisotropy, whereas the compounds with x⋚7 exhibit the easy c-axis type of magnetic anisotropy at room temperature.