Physical properties study of Nd2−xGdxFe17 intermetallic alloys

The structural and magnetic properties of Nd2−xGdxFe17 intermetallic alloys (x = 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0) have been investigated. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that all our synthesized samples are single phase and crystallize in the Th2Zn17-type structure. The lattice parameters decrease linearly with increasing Gd content. All our samples exhibit a ferromagnetic to paramagnetic transition with increasing temperature. Curie temperature Tc increases linearly with increasing Gd substitution from 330 K for x = 0 to 470 K for x = 2. The critical exponent γ, defined by Msp(T) = Msp(0) × (1−T/Tc)γ and deduced from field dependent magnetization measurements at several temperatures below Tc, is found to be 0.34. The room temperature saturation magnetization at room temperature decreases from 28.7 μB/mol for x = 0 to 17.6 μB/mol for x = 2.