Magnetic and magnetoelastic properties of rare earth intermetallides based on TbFe2

Abstract The paper presents the results of the study of magnetic and magnetostrictive properties of rare-earth intermetallides based on TbFe2 compound: Tb1-xZrxFe2, Tb1–xSmxFe2 and (Tb1–xYx)0.8Sm0.2Fe2. These alloys have a cubic crystal structure of the Laves phase C15 throughout the substitution region. For the system of alloys Tb1–xZrxFe2 the single-phase area is limited to the replacement parameter 0 < x < 0.2 and 0.8 < x < 1.0. The compounds of the Tb1–xSmxFe2 system were studied via X-ray dilatometry. The magnetostriction of alloys within the Tb1–xZrxFe2 and (Tb1–xYx)0.8Sm0.2Fe2 systems was studied in the temperature range of 80-320 K in magnetic fields of up to 17 kOe via a strain-gauge method. It was found that each system has the phenomenon of sign inversion of magnetostriction constants: in the system Tb1–xZrxFe2 in the area of replacement parameter x = 0.8, in Tb1–xSmxFe2 - in the area x = 0.45, and in the system of alloys (Tb1–xYx)08Sm02Fe2 at x = 0.6. It was demonstrated that magnetic compensation and spin reorientation phenomena occur in these systems. The obtained results are discussed in the model of alloys with competing exchange interactions.