M$ouml$ssbauer studies of the cubic Laves iron-rare-earth intermetallic compounds

Abstract

The Mössbauer effect in 57Fe has been used to study the hyperfine fields at the iron sites in polycrystalline samples of the cubic Laves AFe2 intermetallics where A is Ce, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Y or Zr. The 57Fe spectra in the Tb, Er, Y and Zr intermetallics can be analysed in terms of two distinct six-line 57Fe patterns, whereas those in Dy and Ho exhibit only one. This is shown to be consistent with [111] and [001] directions of magnetization respectively. The cases of Sm, Gd and Ce are found to be more complicated. An analysis of the results is attempted on the basis of a simple model in which the direction of magnetization is determined by the crystalline electric torques acting on the rare earth ions.