Magnetostriction and spin reorientation studies on Sm0.9-xNdxPr0.1Fe1.93 (x = 0, 0.12, 0.2, 0.24, 0.32, 0.36) compounds

Polycrystalline Sm0.9-xNdxPr0.1Fe1.93 (x = 0, 0.12, 0.2, 0.24, 0.32 and 0.36) intermetallic compounds were found to stabilize in MgCu2-type cubic Laves phase structure. The easy direction of magnetization (EMD) was seen to be along 〈1 1 1〉 direction, accompanied by a rhombohedral distortion in all the compounds, at room temperature. The spin reorientation temperatures were observed at 59 K (TSR1) and 190 K (TSR2) from the temperature dependent magnetization studies. The spin reorientation temperature (TSR2) was due to the change of EMD from 〈0 1 1〉 to 〈1 1 1〉. The order-disorder transition (Curie temperature: TC) was found to decrease with increasing Nd content. The anisotropy compensated Sm0.9Pr0.1Fe1.93 compound was found to exhibit the largest induced magnetostriction (λ‖-λ⊥) value of -1822×10-6, from the present studies, at an applied field of 10 kOe.