2 Search Results

Here, ZrMnP and HfMnP single crystals are grown by a self-flux growth technique, and structural as well as temperature dependent magnetic and transport properties are studied. Both compounds have an orthorhombic crystal structure. ZrMnP and HfMnP are ferromagnetic with Curie temperatures around 370 K and 320 K, respectively. The spontaneous magnetizations of ZrMnP and HfMnP are determined to be 1.9 μ_B/f.u. and 2.1 μ_B/f.u., respectively, at 50 K. The magnetocaloric effect of ZrMnP in terms of entropy change (ΔS) is estimated to be –6.7 kJ m^–3 K^–1 around 369 K. The easy axis of magnetization is [100] for both compounds,more » with a small anisotropy relative to the [010] axis. At 50 K, the anisotropy field along the [001] axis is ~4.6 T for ZrMnP and ~10 T for HfMnP. Such large magnetic anisotropy is remarkable considering the absence of rare-earth elements in these compounds. The first principle calculation correctly predicts the magnetization and hard axis orientation for both compounds, and predicts the experimental HfMnP anisotropy field within 25%. More importantly, our calculations suggest that the large magnetic anisotropy comes primarily from the Mn atoms, suggesting that similarly large anisotropies may be found in other 3d transition metal compounds.« less

Low-temperature measurements of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy K in (Fe_1–xCo_x)₂B alloys are reported, and the origin of this anisotropy is elucidated using a first-principles electronic structure analysis. The calculated concentration dependence K(x) with a maximum near x = 0.3 and a minimum near x = 0.8 is in excellent agreement with experiment. This dependence is traced down to spin-orbital selection rules and the filling of electronic bands with increasing electronic concentration. In conclusion, at the optimal Co concentration, K depends strongly on the tetragonality and doubles under a modest 3% increase of the c/a ratio, suggesting that the magnetocrystalline anisotropymore » can be further enhanced using epitaxial or chemical strain.« less