Technical Articles

Structural and magnetic properties of DyCo_4−xFe_xGa compounds

W. H. Zhang^a1, J. Q. Li^a1 c1, Y. J. Yu^a1, F. S. Liu^a1, W. Q. Ao^a1 and J. L. Yan^a2

^a1 College of Materials Science and Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, People’s Republic of China and Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Materials and New Processing Technology, Ministry of Education, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 53004, People’s Republic of China

^a2 College of Materials Science and Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, People’s Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Nonferrous Metal Materials and New Processing Technology, Ministry of Education, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530004, People’s Republic of China

Abstract

The structural and magnetic properties of the DyCo_4−xFe_xGa compounds with x=0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5 have been investigated by X-ray diffraction and magnetic measurements. Powder X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that each of the DyCo_4−xFe_xGa compounds has a hexagonal CaCu₅-type structure (space group P6/mmm). The Fe solubility limit in DyCo_4−xFe_xGa is x<1.5. The higher the value of x, the larger the unit-cell parameters a, c, V, and the 3d-sublattice moment but the smaller the 3d uniaxial anisotropy. Magnetic measurements show that the Curie temperature of DyCo_4−xFe_xGa increases from 498 K for x=0 to 530 K for x=1.5, the compensation temperature T_comp decreases from 286 K for x=0 to 238 K for x=1.5, and the spin-reorientation transition temperature increases from 403 K for x=0 to 530 K for x=0.5. No spin-reorientation transition was found in the samples with x=1.0 and 1.5. The saturation magnetization of DyCo_4−xFe_xGa measured at 173 K increases but the magnetization measured at 300 K decreases with increasing Fe content x.

(Received June 10 2010)

(Accepted June 17 2010)

Key Words:

• transition metal compounds;
• crystal structure;
• magnetic properties

Correspondence:

^c1 Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Electronic mail: junqinli@szu.edu.cn