The effect of manganese substitution on the magnetic properties of Ce2Co17 compounds

Abstract

X-ray diffraction (XRD) and magnetization measurements were employed to investigate the effect of Mn substitution for Co on the structure and magnetic properties of Ce2Co17-xMnx compounds with x = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4. XRD patterns show that all samples are single phase with the hexagonal Th2Ni17-type structure. The substitution of Mn for Co in Ce2Co17-xMnx compounds leads to a monotonic increase in unit-cell volume. The saturation magnetization at 5 K and the Curie temperature TC decrease monotonically with increasing Mn content. X-ray diffraction measurements on magnetically aligned Ce2Co17-xMnx powders with x = 0-4 exhibit an easy-axis type of magnetic anisotropy at room temperature. The substitution of Mn for Co leads to a change of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the Co sublattice from the basal plane to c-axis and strongly increases the uniaxial anisotropy of Ce2Co17-xMnx compounds. The magnetocrystalline anisotropy field HA is found first to increase and then decrease with increasing Mn concentration, attaining a maximum value of 30.1 kOe at x = 2.