Exceptional magnetic and magnetoelastic behavior of rare-earth non-centrosymmetric Sm7Pd3

Magnetic compounds possessing an intrinsic combination of near-zero magnetization with high magnetic anisotropy are highly desirable for spinronic applications and memory recording. A comprehensive study of Sm7Pd3 binary compound uncovered a unique combination of strong magnetoelastic behavior, very low net magnetization, and exceptionally high magnetic coercivity. The temperature-dependent X-ray synchrotron powder diffraction study indicates the abrupt changes in the compound's lattice parameters at the magnetic ordering temperature of TC=169 K, although the crystal structure remains non-centrosymmetric hexagonal Th7Fe3-type down to 6 K. Density functional theory calculations confirm high intrinsic magnetocrystalline anisotropy of Sm7Pd3, which explains the extremely large coercivity of the polycrystalline sample, up to Hcr = 130 kOe at 2 K. This discovery brings to life a novel class of highly anisotropic materials that are distinctly different from known spintronic materials, making them interesting future systems for magnetic memory research.