Quenching of spin fluctuations in the highly enhanced paramagnets RCo/sub 2/ (R = Sc, Y, or Lu)

Journal Article · Tue May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.29.5039· OSTI ID:6678783

Ikeda, K; Stierman, R J; Tsang, T E; McMasters, O D

The low-temperature (1.3--20.0 K) high-magnetic-field (0--10 T) heat capacity and the magnetization and magnetic susceptibility (1.7--300 K) of the strongly Pauli paramagnetic RCo/sub 2/ (R = Sc, Y, or Lu) compounds with the MgCu/sub 2/-type structure were measured. The heat-capacity results for ScCo/sub 2/, YCo/sub 2/, and LuCo/sub 2/ show that the electronic specific-heat constant decreases with increasing magnetic fields (by 7%, 4%, and 10%, respectively, at 10 T). For YCo/sub 2/ the coefficient of the T/sup 3/ term (..beta..) in the heat capacity is found to increase by 18% at 10 T, but for ScCo/sub 2/ and LuCo/sub 2/ ..beta.. remains constant within experimental error. Analyses based on several theoretical models of the quenching of spin fluctuations by high magnetic fields suggest that the characteristic spin-fluctuation temperature is approx.20 K for ScCo/sub 2/, approx.35 K for YCo/sub 2/, and approx.16 K for LuCo/sub 2/. The magnetization and the field dependence of the magnetic susceptibility of the same samples as used in the heat-capacity measurements indicate the presence of ferromagnetic impurities in the samples, but the estimated concentrations are sufficiently low that they probably have no effect on the observed heat capacities. Maxwell's thermodynamics relationship between the field dependence of the heat capacity and the temperature dependence of the magnetic susceptibility has been examined.

• Research Organization: Ames Laboratory and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
• OSTI ID: 6678783
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev. B: Condens. Matter; (United States) Vol. 29:9; ISSN PRBMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360104* -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
COBALT COMPOUNDS
FLUCTUATIONS
LUTETIUM COMPOUNDS
MAGNETIC PROPERTIES
MAGNETIC SUSCEPTIBILITY
MAGNETIZATION
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
SCANDIUM COMPOUNDS
SPECIFIC HEAT
SPIN
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
ULTRALOW TEMPERATURE
VARIATIONS
YTTRIUM COMPOUNDS