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Low temperature-high magnetic field heat-capacity studies of weakly and nearly ferromagnetic and mixed-valence rare earth materials

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5322905

Low temperature heat capacity measurements from 1 to 20 K as a function of magnetic field from 0 to 10 T (100 kOe) have been made on materials which exhibit unusual properties due to spin fluctuations. The spin fluctuating materials studied to date include the itinerant ferromagnet Sc/sub 3/In (1), the mixed valent compound CeSn/sub 3/, and the nearly ferromagnetic materials: RCo/sub 2/ (R = Sc, Y and Lu (2)), Sc and Pd/sub 1-x/Ni/sub x/ (x = 0.005 and 0.01) alloys. In all three types of materials the high magnetic fields quench spin fluctuations. In the nearly ferromagnetic materials and the mixed valent compound this quenching leads to a depression of the electronic specific heat constant of approx. 10% for the former and 23% for the latter - this change is over an order of magnitude larger than has been observed heretofore. The situation for the weakly itinerant ferromagnet Sc/sub 3/In is more complex. Above about twice the Curie temperature, T/sub c/ = 6.0 K, the spin fluctuation contribution to the heat capacity is enhanced by the magnetic field as long as the field is < 5 T, but above 5 T the spin fluctuations are quenched. At or below T/sub c/ the magnetic field always lowers the heat capacity, completely quenching itinerant ferromagnetism in Sc/sub 3/In at 12 T.

Research Organization:
Ames Lab., IA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-82
OSTI ID:
5322905
Report Number(s):
IS-M-378; CONF-810675-7; ON: DE82016388
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English