Magnetic properties, electronic structures and pressure effects of HoxY1−xCo2 compounds

Neutron diffraction measurements were performed on HoCo2 in the pressure range p ⩽ 4.8 GPa. The evolutions with pressure of holmium and cobalt moments were correlated with those obtained from band structure calculations. Magnetic properties of HoxY1−xCo2 compounds with x ⩽ 0.3 were also investigated in a large temperature range. The magnetic behaviour of cobalt in the above system has been analysed in spin fluctuations model.