New Samarium and Neodymium based admixed ferromagnets with near zero net magnetization and tunable exchange bias field

TL;DR

This paper reports on rare earth intermetallics SmScGe and NdScGe that exhibit near zero net magnetization, tunable exchange bias, and high magnetic ordering temperatures, making them promising for spintronics applications.

Contribution

It introduces new admixed ferromagnets with near zero net magnetization and tunable exchange bias, elucidating magnetic compensation and field-induced moment reversal.

Findings

Near zero net magnetization achieved in SmScGe and NdScGe with minimal substitutions.

Exchange bias field can be tuned in these materials.

Magnetic ordering temperatures around 270 K, suitable for applications.

Abstract

Rare earth based intermetallics, SmScGe and NdScGe, are shown to exhibit near zero net magnetization with substitutions of 6 to 9 atomic percent of Nd and 25 atomic percent of Gd, respectively. The notion of magnetic compensation in them is also elucidated by the crossover of zero magnetization axis at low magnetic fields (less than 103 Oe) and field-induced reversal in the orientation of the magnetic moments of the dissimilar rare earth ions at higher magnetic fields. These magnetically ordered materials with no net magnetization and appreciable conduction electron polarization display an attribute of an exchange bias field, which can be tuned. The attractively high magnetic ordering temperatures of about 270 K, underscore the importance of these materials for potential applications in spintronics.