The magnetocrystalline anisotropy of R/sub 2/Co/sub 17-x/Mn/sub x/ (R=Pr, Nd, Tb, Dy and Ho) compounds

The effect of Mn substitution on the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of R/sub 2/Co/sub 17-x/Mn/sub x/ (R=Pr, Nd, Tb, Ho and Dy) compounds have been investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) and magnetic measurements, XRD measurement on magnetically aligned samples demonstrates that for Pr (13. The magnetic phase diagrams are given. The spin-reorientation transition might be understood as the result of the competition between the magneto-crystalline anisotropy of the R-sublattice and that of the 3d-sublattice. Room-temperature magnetocrystalline anisotropy fields HA firstly increases and then decreases with increasing Mn substitution, attaining the maximum at x=2-3. The enhancement of anisotropy is explained by preferred substitution of Mn atom in 6c Co sites. From the measurement of magnetization curve along and perpendicular to the c-axis at different temperature around the T/sub sr/, it can be implied that the spin-reorientation transitions are a continuous moment reorientation.