Investigation of the pressure and temperature dependence of the intrinsic magnetic properties of YCo4Ge

Abstract The YCo 4 Ge intrinsic magnetic properties; such as the saturation magnetization and the magnetocrystalline anisotropy parameters; are determined at 5, 100, 200 and 300 K from a fit of the isothermal magnetization curves measured in applied field up to 10 T. Ge for Co substitution induces a reduction of the first order anisotropy parameter as well as of the uniaxial anisotropy field. At 4 K an anisotropy field of 5.8 T is obtained, whereas a value of that is observed at room temperature. The magnetocrystalline anisotropy found for YCo 4 Ge is significantly reduced upon heating from 4 to 300 K. The investigation of the magnetic properties of YCo 4 Ge in both the ordered and the paramagnetic phases shows that this YCo 4 Ge compound exhibits a typical itinerant ferromagnetic behavior. The effect of applied pressure on the isothermal magnetization has been investigated showing that the volume has an important influence on the magnetization of YCo 4 Ge. The influence of the Ge for Co substitution on the Co–Co exchange interaction is also discussed. The results are compared and commented on in the light of earlier reports for YCo 5 and other Co containing phases.