Structural, magnetic and Mössbauer studies on magnetostrictive Ho1−xTbxFe1.95 [x=0-1]

Alloys of Ho1−xTbxFe1.95 (x=0, 0.15, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1) were prepared and investigated for structural and magnetic properties. The microstructure of the alloys investigated consists of three phases viz. RFe2 as major phase, RFe3 and R-rich as minor phases. The RFe3 phase, however, appears in minimum volume fraction for concentrations up to x<0.25 and progressively increases with Tb addition. The lattice parameter, Curie temperature, saturation magnetization, Fe hyperfine field, coercivity and spontaneous magnetostriction are also found to increase with Tb addition. A spin reorientation transition from [1 0 0] easy direction of magnetization to [1 1 1] easy direction of magnetization was observed from Mössbauer and X-ray diffraction studies.