Magnetostriction in (Tb0.45Dy0.55)1−xErxCo2 (x = 0.1, 0.2): high-field investigation

Intermetallic compounds (Tb0.45Dy0.55)1−xErxCo2 (x = 0.1; 0.2) were synthesized using high purity rare-earth metals. Multicomponent compositions with compensated magnetic anisotropy (MA) were chosen with respect to theoretical predictions based upon the single-ion MA model. Magnetostriction was measured in magnetic fields up to 10 T within the temperature range of 1.5–200 K by means of strain gauges. In the vicinity of magnetic phase transitions (160–170 K), giant volume magnetostriction (~2×10−3 in 10 T) provided by the band magnetism of a Co sublattice was observed in the compounds studied.