Single crystal magnetization of ErAl2and interpretation in terms of the crystalline field

Abstract
Measurements are reported of the magnetization of single crystals of ErAl2 between 4.2K and 16K for magnetic fields up to 150 kOe applied along the (111), (110) and (100) directions. The results are interpreted in terms of the crystal field using a two-dimensional molecular-field approach. Within this microscopic description of the magnetization and the related magnetocrystalline anisotropy the authors use only two temperature-independent crystal field parameters and the Curie temperature. A least-square fitting procedure gives B4=1.10*10-4 meV, B6=-1.34*10-6 meV and Tc=14K. With these parameters they obtain good agreement between calculated and measured magnetization curves.

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