Magnetic and magneto-optical properties of rare-earth transition-metal alloys containing Gd, Tb, Fe, Co

Journal Article · Sat Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 1989 · J. Appl. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.343551· OSTI ID:6055103

Hansen, P; Clausen, C; Much, G; Rosenkranz, M; Witter, K

Binary and ternary amorphous rare-earth transition-metal alloys of general composition RE/sub 1/minus//ital x//(Fe/sub 1/minus//ital y//Co/sub /ital y//)/sub /ital x// with RE=Gd, Tb and 0/lt//ital x//lt/1, 0less than or equal to/ital y/less than or equal to1 were prepared by evaporation. The saturation magnetization, uniaxial anisotropy, and Faraday rotation were investigated as a function of composition and temperature. Also, from the temperature-dependent measurements the compositional variation of the Curie temperature and the compensation temperature were determined. The experimental data have been analyzed in terms of the mean-field theory yielding spin values and effective exchange interaction energies. The compositional variation of the spin value was described by the environment model. The anisotropy data were fitted with a dipolar equation using the sublattice magnetizations inferred from the mean-field analysis. The magneto-optical effects are primarily caused by the transition metals. For the binaries GdFe and GdCo the compositional variation of the Kerr rotation typically peaks between 1000 and 1500 nm. The lowest magneto-optical effects for binary RE-Th alloys with respect to composition are reached at about /ital x/approx.0.5 for /ital T/=4.2 K. The temperature dependence of the Faraday rotation can be well described in terms of the sublattice magnetizations.

• Research Organization: Philips GmbH Forschungslaboratorium Hamburg, Vogt-Kolln Strasse 30, 2000 Hamburg 54, Federal Republic of Germany(DE)
• OSTI ID: 6055103
• Journal Information: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States) Vol. 66:2; ISSN JAPIA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360104* -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
ALLOY SYSTEMS
ALLOYS
AMORPHOUS STATE
ANISOTROPY
BINARY ALLOY SYSTEMS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
COBALT ALLOYS
EXCHANGE INTERACTIONS
FARADAY EFFECT
GADOLINIUM ALLOYS
INTERACTIONS
IRON ALLOYS
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MAGNETIZATION
MAGNETO-OPTICAL EFFECTS
MEAN-FIELD THEORY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RARE EARTH ALLOYS
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
TERBIUM ALLOYS
TERNARY ALLOY SYSTEMS