Superconductivity and magnetism in the Ho/sub 1-x/Er/sub x/Rh/sub 4/B/sub 4/ alloy system

Journal Article · Mon Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1982 · J. Appl. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.330915· OSTI ID:5585412

Mook, H A; Koehler, W C; Sinha, S K; Crabtree, G W; Hinks, D G; Maple, M B; Fisk, Z; Johnston, D C; Woolf, L D; Hamaker, H C

We have used neutron scattering techniques to examine the magnetic transitions in the Ho/sub 1-x/Er/sub x/Rh/sub 4/B/sub 4/ pseudoternary system. A wide variety of behavior is found, ranging from mean-field behavior for HoRh/sub 4/B/sub 4/ to complicated behavior for ErRh/sub 4/B/sub 4/, where superconductivity and long-range ferromagnetic order coexist between 0.7 and 1.2 K. Long-range ferromagnetic order is found at the lowest temperatures for all alloy compositions. Alloys with more than about 30% Ho order magnetically along the c axis and superconductivity is destroyed in these alloys in a sharp transition coincident with magnetic ordering. Alloys near the ErRh/sub 4/B/sub 4/ composition order in the basal plane but undergo a complex ordering process through a sinusoidally modulated state. Because Ho and Er have competing orthogonal magnetic anisotropies, compounds near the composition Ho/sub 0.25/Er/sub 0.75/Rh/sub 4/B/sub 4/ are near a multicritical point in the magnetic phase diagram.

• Research Organization: Solid State Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830
• OSTI ID: 5585412
• Journal Information: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 53:3; ISSN JAPIA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360104* -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
656102 -- Solid State Physics-- Superconductivity-- Acoustic
Electronic
Magnetic
Optical
& Thermal Phenomena-- (-1987)
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ALLOYS
ANISOTROPY
BORON ALLOYS
COHERENT SCATTERING
DIFFRACTION
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
EUROPIUM ALLOYS
FERROMAGNETISM
HOLMIUM ALLOYS
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MAGNETISM
NEUTRON DIFFRACTION
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLATINUM METAL ALLOYS
RARE EARTH ALLOYS
RHODIUM ALLOYS
SCATTERING
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
ULTRALOW TEMPERATURE