Magnetic properties of intermetallic compounds La(Ni,Co,Cu) 3

LaNi 3 exhibited a metallic antiferromagnetic property with T N = 30 K. La(Ni 1– x Co x ) 3 with x = 0.01, 0.03 and 0.05 exhibited ferromagnetic properties, T C increasing linearly with increasing x . La(Ni 1–2 z Co z Cu z ) 3 with z = 0.015 exhibited a ferromagnetic property with a small T C . A La(Ni 1– y Cu y ) 3 sample with y = 0.01 exhibited a Pauli‐paramagnetic property; those with y = 0.02, 0.03 and 0.04 exhibited gradual metamagnetic behavior and that with y = 0.05 exhibited a ferromagnetic property. The gradual metamagnetic M – H variations are numerically simulated by using Landau‐type free energies. The results suggest that the gradual metamagnetic behavior occurs from an antiferromagnetic state to a ferromagnetic one. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)