Structure and uniaxial magnetocrystalline anisotropy of intermetallic compounds La2Co17−xTix

Abstract
The crystal structure and magnetic properties of intermetallic compounds La2Co17−xTix (0.8⩽x⩽1.2) have been investigated by x-ray powder diffraction and magnetic measurement. The lattice parameters of La2Co17−xTix with the rhombohedral Th2Zn17-type structure are a=8.518–8.531 Å, c=12.344–12.379 Å. Ti atoms show a strong preference for occupying 6c crystallographic positions. The La2Co17−xTix compounds are ferromagnetic. The Curie temperature decreases from 972 to 872 K, and the saturation magnetic moment decreases from 23.2 to 21.3 μB/f.u. with x=0.8–1.2. The La2Co16Ti compound exhibits favorable uniaxial anisotropy, and the easy magnetization direction is parallel to the c axis. The anisotropy field is 23 kOe at 1.5 K for this compound.