Physics Letters A 371 (2007) 504507 www.elsevier.

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Magnetic phase transition in ferromagnet Co100x Erx (x = 55, 65) with random anisotropy
E. Loudghiri a , A. Belayachi a, , N. Hassanain a , O. Touraghe b , A. Hassini b , H. Lassri b
a Laboratoire de Physique des Matriaux, Facult des Sciences Universit Mohammed V, B.P. 1014 Rabat, Morocco b Laboratoire de Physique des Matriaux, Micro-lectronique, Automatique et Thermique, Facult des Sciences Ain Chok, Casablanca, Morocco

Received 22 May 2007; received in revised form 19 June 2007; accepted 27 June 2007 Available online 29 June 2007 Communicated by J. Flouquet

Abstract We have investigated the magnetic phase transitions of amorphous Co45 Er55 and Co35 Er65 , prepared by the liquid quenching technique. From an analysis of the approach to saturation magnetization some fundamental parameters have been extracted. Magnetic data taken in the critical region were analyzed using the modied Arrott plot and the critical isotherm. The data satisfy the magnetic equation of state characteristic of second order phase transition over the entire temperature range of the present investigation. The exponents values obtained are in very good agreement with the theoretical values calculated for 3D Heisenberg model. 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
PACS: 71.23.Cq; 75.60.Ej; 75.30.Gw Keywords: Amorphous alloys; Magnetization; Random anisotropy; Phase transition

1. Introduction The amorphous alloys TMRE, where TM is a transition metal and RE a rare earth magnetic ion, are of interest due to their industrial applications [1]. From a fundamental viewpoint, the investigations of the TMRE systems lead to a great variety of magnetic structures [2]. Due to the competition between exchange interactions and the large local random crystal elds acting on rare earth magnetic ion, this type of alloys shows noncollinear magnetic structures and random magnetic anisotropy (RMA) [3]. In the case of some TMRE systems with RMA, the non-linear susceptibility follows a spin glass scaling equation of state [4]. From theoretical side, it has been shown that for space dimensionality d 4 and for spin components ms 2 no long-range order exists in zero applied eld [5]. This has been conrmed in a number of TMRE amorphous alloys by neutron-scattering measurements [6]. For amorphous
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +212 67 07 36 36; fax: +212 37 671119.

Co100x HRx (HR = Gd, Dy, Er; 40 x 70) the magnetic moment inherent in the Co ion disappears around x = 60 [7]. It has been reported that the critical exponents found for some TMRE alloys cannot be related denitively to any theoretical prediction [8]. In the present study we have performed a detailed analysis of the magnetic phase transitions in amorphous Co45 Er55 and Co35 Er65 alloys. Such study is important and interesting because the nature of phase transition in amorphous alloys with random magnetic anisotropy RMA is less well understood. 2. Experimental The amorphous Co100x Erx alloys, with x = 55 and 65, were prepared by melt spinning technique and the amorphous state was checked by X-ray diffraction [9]. The exact chemical composition of the samples was determined by electron probe microanalysis. The magnetization was measured by the extraction method with applied eld up to 200 kOe.

E-mail address: belayach@fsr.ac.ma (A. Belayachi). 0375-9601/$ see front matter 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.physleta.2007.06.066

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3. Results and discussion 3.1. Magnetization measurements and exchange constant In Fig. 1 we present the temperature dependence of the magnetization M(T ) under an applied eld of 10 kOe. There is an increase of the magnetization below a transition temperature, which we dene via location of inection point of the curve. The Curie temperature TC has been determined by the maximum of the absolute value of the rst-order derivative of the magnetization with respect to temperature and this is at the inexion point of M vs. T data. The numerical t leads the values of TC = 17 K and 10 K for Co45 Er55 and Co35 Er65 , respectively. Moreover, the M(T ) curves do not show the distinct features of a sharp kink as typical for ferromagnets. When decreasing the temperature a slow increase of the magnetization is observed, indicating a metastable domain arrangement due to restricted domain-wall mobility. The eld dependence of the magnetization was measured up to H = 200 kOe in the temperature range 4.2150 K on all the samples. Some selected features are presented in Fig. 2. It can be seen that even for H = 200 kOe, the saturation is not reached, only a non-linear continuous increase of the magnetization with increasing eld is observed at all temperatures. The approach to saturation in the magnetization, for amorphous alloys, can be described by the following formula [1016]: M(H ) = M0 1 a1/2 a2 , 1/2 (H + Hu + Hex ) (H + Hu + Hex )2 (1) where H is the magnetic eld in kOe, M0 is the saturation magnetization in emu g1 , Hex is the exchange eld and Hu is the coherent anisotropy eld. The ai coefcients (i = 1/2, 2) depend upon the amount of various structural defects and intrinsic uctuations. The rst term a1/2 /(H + Hu + Hex )1/2 can arise from point-like defects, from intrinsic magnetostatic uctuations and from randomly distributed magnetic anisotropy [10]. The second term a2 /(H + Hu + Hex )2 is attributed to the magnetoelastic interaction of quasidislocation dipoles. The magnetization curves at 4.2 K for the two samples are found to t Eq. (1) well as shown in Fig. 3. According to the mean eld predictions the exchange constant is given approximately by A= 3kB TC JEr zErEr (1 + JEr )rErEr (2)

Fig. 1. Temperature dependence of the magnetization with applied eld of 10 kOe.

Fig. 2. Field dependence of the magnetization for Co45 Er55 .

where kB is the Boltzmann constant, TC is the Curie temperature, JEr is the total angular momentum and rErEr is the interatomic distance between Er atoms taken to be 3.5 [17] and zErEr is the average number of Er nearest neighbours of the Er atom taken to be 6 and 7 for x = 55 and 65, respectively [18]. The results obtained for the parameters M0 , a1/2 , a2 , Hex + Hu and A are listed in Table 1. 3.2. Random anisotropy parameters From the results of the approach to saturation the random magnetic anisotropy parameters can be deduced. The factors

Fig. 3. M(H ) at 4.2 K, adjusted with formula (1) (see text).

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Table 1 The values of saturation magnetization M0 , factors a1/2 , a2 , eld Hex + Hu and exchange constant A for the amorphous CoEr alloys at 4.2 K Sample Co45 Er55 Co35 Er65 M0 (emu g1 ) 213 240 a1/2 (kOe1/2 ) 3.2 3.6 a2 (kOe2 ) 114 120 Hex + Hu (kOe) 35 40 A (108 erg cm1 ) 3 1.5

Table 2 The values of Hex , Hr , KL , Ra and for the amorphous CoEr alloys at 4.2 K Sample Co45 Er55 Co35 Er65 Hex (kOe) 10.8 10.4 Hr (kOe) 41.3 42.4 KL (107 erg cm3 ) 4.0 4.6 Ra () 28 23 1.4 1.5

a1/2 and a2 are related to the anisotropy eld Hr and the exchange eld Hex by the relations [1921]: a1/2 = Hr2 15Hex
3/2

Fig. 4. Modied Arrott plot M 1/ vs. (H /M)1/ (MAP) for Co45 Er55 . The units of M and H are emu g1 and kOe, respectively.

,
2

(3) , (4) RMA systems exhibit similar magnetic states at low temperature with the spins being frozen in random directions. A transition from spin glass to paramagnetic state can occurs in this type of systems [4]. Using the modied Arrott plot and the critical isotherm we do nd, however, that the high-eld magnetization follows the standard ferromagneticparamagnetic transition in Co45 Er55 and Co35 Er65 even though a strong RMA is present. In Fig. 4, the M(H, T ) data were used to construct the modied Arrott plot [22] (MAP) M 1/ vs. (H /M)1/ . An important advantage of this method is that the exponents can be optimized for a very small temperature range, in principle for one isothermal curve, above and below TC , respectively [23]. For T < TC it was impossible to get all the data for one isothermal curve on a straight line, because the data for H < 30 kOe deviate from linearity. Generally, the low eld anomalies occur both for ordered and disordered systems [24] and even for the case of monocrystalline Ni [25]. An interpretation in terms of inhomogeneities is not possible. On the other hand strong relaxation effects have been observed when taking the measurements of the isotherms at low temperature. The values of the exponents obtained are = 0.4 and = 1.35 which are in good agreement with those usually determined for a 3D Heisenberg system. It should be noted that for the studied samples the width of the critical regime is much larger that in ordered systems as previously reported for many disordered systems [26]. The exponent , which describes the eld dependence of the magnetization for T = TC can be obtained from Ln(M) vs. Ln(H ) plot (Fig. 5). Usually, the isotherms for T < TC are convex and for T > TC concave. The curvature in such isotherms becomes more pronounced as the temperature at which a given isotherm is taken deviates more and more from TC . However, in our case the isotherms just below and above TC exhibit the same curvature, as previously observed for semi-disordered systems [27], indicating that nature of the phase transition is slightly different form a classical ferromagnet. Because we do not measure exactly the isotherm for T = TC we obtain the value of by interpolating the slopes

H2 1 2KL a2 = r = 15 15 M0

where KL is the random local anisotropy constant. From the same model, Hex can be expressed as Hex = a2 a1/2
2/3

2A . 2 M0 R a

(5)

Knowing all the parameters a1/2 , a2 , and M0 , one can evaluate Hex , Hr , and KL . From the exchange eld Hex and the constant exchange A mentioned above, it is possible to calculate the important structural parameter Ra [21]: Ra = 2A M0 Hex
1/2

(6)

Table 2 exhibits the values of Hex , Hr , KL and Ra . There is no long-range correlation in the direction of the easy axis along the samples, as the relatively small value of the easy axes correlation length, Ra , indicates. The anisotropy directions are assumed to be randomly distributed beyond the characteristic length scale Ra where atomic short range order takes place. The dimensionless parameter , which plays an important role in distinguishing between strong anisotropy ( > 1) and weak anisotropy ( < 1), was calculated = 2 15
1/2

Hr . Hex

(7)

It is found that > 1 (Table 2), which corresponds to a ferromagnet system with strong random anisotropy. 3.3. Modied Arrott plot and critical isotherm It is well known that in magnetic systems with random magnetic anisotropy (RMA), the properties depend on the strength of the external magnetic eld where the systems passe trough different magnetic regimes with increasing eld. Spin-glass and

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Heisenberg ferromagnet. This work shows that the transition from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic state in such alloys is not affected by the presence of the random anisotropy. Acknowledgements The high eld measurements carried out at the SNCI, Grenoble are gratefully acknowledged. References
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Fig. 5. The Ln(H ) vs. Ln(M) isotherms at few temperatures around the Curie temperature for Co0.45 Er0.55 . Table 3 Critical exponents , and for MTRE alloys Sample Co45 Er55 Co35 Er65 Fe30 Tb70 Fe30 Tb70 Fe67 Tb33 * Co35 Nd65 Co35 Tb65 Co33 Gd65 MFT** 3D Ising 3D Heisenberg 0.4 0.4 0.365 0.400 0.500 0.39 0.38 0.41 0.5 0.325 0.365 1.35 1.35 1.387 1.230 1.00 1.21 1.30 1.16 1.0 1.241 1.336 4.8 4.8 4.779 4.24 3.065 4.10 4.43 3.6 3.0 4.82 4.80 Ref. This work This work [8] [8] [8] [29] [29] [29] [30] [30] [30]

* Values of the exponents with = 90 ( denotes the angle between easy axis and applied eld). ** Mean eld theory.

of the approximately straight parts of the near-critical isotherms for large Ln(H ) [28]. The exponents values obtained with the results determined previously for rare earth alloys and prediction of various models are given in Table 3. The results are in very good agreement with the three-dimensional Heisenberg model. 4. Conclusions In this investigation, we have analyzed the approach to saturation of the high eld magnetization curves of the amorphous Co100x Erx . The mean eld theory allowed us to determine the exchange parameter A. Using the modied Arrott plot and the critical isotherm, we have obtained the critical exponents describing the phase transition in Co45 Er55 and Co35 Er65 alloys. The two samples exhibit the critical behavior of the 3D