Magnetic Properties and Magnetostriction of R2Fe17H3±x (R = Tb, Dy) Hydrides

Abstract

The magnetic anisotropy (MA) of trihydrides of single-crystalline rare-earth (R) intermetallics R2Fe17H3±x (R = Tb and Dy) with small deviations in the hydrogen concentration (x = 0 – 0.4) was investigated via the magnetic and magnetoelastic measurements in a wide temperature region. The easy-axis MA of Tb2Fe17H3±x is preserved in the entire range of magnetically ordered state while an “easy-cone – easy-plane” transition takes place in Dy2Fe17H3±x above ambient temperatures. The trihydrides demonstrate a significant decrease of magnetic anisotropy as the temperature increases. The temperature variation of thermal expansion of Dy2Fe17H3 displays anomalies in the vicinity of a spin-reorientation transition. The longitudinal magnetostriction λ||(T) of the same compound changes its sign at 340 K. The compounds studied can find specific applications in practice.