A mean-field study on the thermo-magnetic properties of GdxCo1−x amorphous alloys (0.16⩽x⩽0.25)

Abstract We present a mean-field study on the thermo-magnetic properties of Gd x Co 1− x amorphous alloys in the 0.16⩽ x ⩽0.25 composition range. A single set of exchange integrals and fixed values of the angular momenta of Gd and Co fairly describe the temperature dependence of magnetization. The magnetic specific heat and magnetic entropy show field and composition dependence. Both the specific heat anomaly and the saturated entropy, at the temperature of the magnetic phase transition, increase with increasing Co concentration. The two magnetic subnetworks and their cross-interactions contribute differently to the specific heat.