Competing Anisotropies and Magnetization Processes in the Pseudoternary (Ho sub x Er sub 1--x )Fe sub 10 V sub 2 Tetragonal System

A study of temperature and composition dependence of the magnetic anisotropy of the tetragonal (Ho sub x Er sub 1--x )Fe sub 10 V sub 2 polycrystalline compounds was made by means of the singular point detection technique. At 293K, the easy magnetization direction lies along the tetragonal c axis \001\ in all the samples and the anisotropy field increases linearly with increasing Ho content. However, with decreasing temperature the competition among the anisotropy of the different magnetic sublattices gives rise to a spin reorientation transition axis to cone in Er containing samples. The T sub SR value increases with increasing Er content. A significant in-plane anisotropy was found in all the compounds. This planar anisotropy is larger in HoFe sub 10 V sub 2 , where it favors the \100\ direction of the basal plane, while in ErFe sub 10 V sub 2 the \110\ is the preferred direction. The difference between the anisotropy field along \100\ and \110\ directions was found to decrease with increasing Er content. A first-order magnetization process of type 1 was observed < 120K in all the compounds when the magnetic field is applied along the \110\ direction.