The Magnetostriction of Dysprosium Metal

Abstract

The magnetostriction of dysprosium metal has been measured at 20.3 °K and from 90 °K to 206 °K. At the lowest temperature, at which the metal is ferromagnetic, the magnetostriction constant λs defined by λ = 2λs(cos2 -½) is found, by extrapolation, to be 3.4 × 10-2. The magnetostrictive behaviour of dysprosium in the antiferromagnetic region can be qualitatively accounted for in terms of the deformation of a helical spin system.