Sequential cobalt magnetization collapse in ErCo2: beyond the limits of itinerant electron metamagnetism.

The itinerant electron metamagnetism (IEM) is an essential physical concept, describing magnetic properties of rare earth - transition metal (R-TM) intermetallics, demonstrating technologically important giant magnetoresistance and magnetocaloric effects. It considers an appearance of TM magnetization induced by spontaneous magnetization of surrounding R atoms, which provides significant response of the magnetic and transport properties on variation of external parameters (temperature, pressure, magnetic field) due to strong coupling between magnetic sublattices. The RCo2 compounds were generally considered as model systems for understanding of basic properties of IEM intermetallics. However, microscopic nature of magnetic properties still remains unclear. In our experimental and theoretical study of ErCo2 in a wide range of thermodynamic parameters a sequential collapse of cobalt sublattice magnetization in the background of nearly unchanged Er sublattice magnetization was revealed. The uncoupled magnetizations behavior challenges the IEM concept applicability and evidences more complex nature of magnetism in ErCo2 and related RCo2 systems.

Magnetism and electronic structure calculation of SmN.

The results of the electronic structure calculations performed on SmN by using the LDA+U method with and without including the spin-orbit coupling are presented. Within the LDA+U approach, a N(2p) band polarization of about 0.3 µB is induced by Sm(4f)-N(2p) hybridization, and a half-metallic ground state is obtained. By including spin-orbit coupling the magnetic structure was shown to be antiferromagnetic of type II, with Sm spin and orbital moments nearly cancelling. This results into a semiconducting ground state, which is in agreement with experimental results.

On the R 5d band polarization in rare-earth-transition metal compounds.

Magnetic measurements and band structure calculations were performed on RT(2) and RT(5) compounds, where R is a heavy rare-earth and T = Fe, Co, Ni, Al, as well as on pseudobinary compounds GdCo(2 - x)A(x) (A = Ni, Cu, Si), YFe(2 - x)V(x) and YCo(4 - x)Ni(x)B. The calculated moments per formula unit described well the experimentally determined magnetizations. By considering the 4f-5d-3d exchange interactions, we evaluate the contributions of local 4f-5d and short range 5d-3d interactions to R 5d and Y 4d band polarizations. The 4f-5d induced polarizations are proportional to the De Gennes factor and are the same for a given R and a similar type structure. The R 5d and Y 4d band polarizations induced by R 5d-T3d or Y 4d-T3d hybridizations are proportional to the number of neighbouring T atoms, to a given R, and their magnetic moments. Previous results on the matter are also discussed.

Nonquasiparticle states in Co2MnSi evidenced through magnetic tunnel junction spectroscopy measurements.

We investigate the effects of electronic correlations in the full-Heusler Co2MnSi, by combining a theoretical analysis of the spin-resolved density of states with tunneling-conductance spectroscopy measurements using Co2MnSi as electrode. Both experimental and theoretical results confirm the existence of so-called nonquasiparticle states and their crucial contribution to the finite-temperature spin polarization in this material.

Magnetic properties and electronic structures of R-Ni-B compounds where R is a heavy rare earth.

Magnetic measurements were performed in the temperature range 4.2-300 K and fields up to 70 kOe on R(3)Ni(7)B(2) compounds with R = Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er. The Curie temperatures decrease from 38.5 K (Gd) to 7 K (Er). Band structure calculations show that nickel, at 0 K, has a very small magnetic polarization, oriented antiparallel to the rare-earth moment. The XPS measurements suggest the presence of unoccupied Ni3d states. The reciprocal susceptibilities follow a Curie-Weiss type behaviour. Effective nickel moments of 1.33 ± 0.25 µ(B) were determined. The magnetic behaviour of nickel is analysed in models which take into account electron correlation effects in d bands.