Spin adjustment in (Gd,Dy)Al₂

Abstract

Spin echo measurements have been used to establish the way in which the magnetic moments in GdAl2 adjust themselves to the presence of dysprosium ions introduced substitutionally into the lattice. The dysprosium moments favour a (100) easy magnetisation direction in contrast to the (100) of the GdAl2 lattice. The results suggest that the gadolinium moment directions change gradually from the (111) direction and a model is examined for spherical volumes of gadolinium ions about each dysprosium.