Magnetocrystalline Anisotropy in Cubic Rare Earth-Fe2 Compounds

Magnetization and magnetic torque measurements were made on single crystals of ErFe2 from 77°K to 329°K. From these measurements the magnetocrystalline anisotropy constants were deduced. At room temperature K1 = −3.3 × 106 ergs/cm3; at 77°K, −K1 > 108 ergs/cm3. Huge magnetic anisotropies are predicted for TbFe2 and DyFe2, whereas small anisotropies are predicted for ternary TbxDy1−xFe2 compounds near x = 0.3. The magnetostriction in this compound saturates easily indicating low anisotropy.