Ferrimagnetism and hyperfine interactions in RFe₅Al₇(R = rare earth)

Magnetization and Mössbauer (⁵⁷Fe, ¹⁵⁵Gd) studies of RFe₅Al₇(R = Y, Sm to Lu, ThMn₁₂ crystal structure) in magnetic fields up to 50 kOe and temperatures 4.1 to 500 K have been performed. The Mössbauer studies yield the distribution of the iron ions among the various inequivalent crystallographic and magnetic sites, the hyperfine fields and their temperature dependence. The magnetization curves display a great variety of unusual magnetic phenomena. Among those; strong anisotropy, magnetic and thermal hysteresis (H_c = 24 kOe for DyFe₅Al₇ at 4.1 K), negative magnetization at low temperatures when the sample is cooled in a magnetic field (even in 1 Oe), compensation points, maxima points and time-dependent magnetization. Most of the phenomena observed can be explained in terms of a spin structure previously suggested for the RFe₆Al₆ compounds, composed of 4 magnetic sublattices. The rare earth moments lie antiparallel to the iron moments in the (j) site and to the ferromagnetic component of a canted antiferromagnetic structure of iron in the (f) site. Iron in the (i) site is nonmagnetic.