Magnetic properties of the quasicrystal approximant Au65Ga21Tb14

Abstract

The magnetic properties of the quasicrystal approximant Au65Ga21Tb14 were investigated using magnetization and neutron diffraction experiments. The temperature dependences of the magnetic susceptibility and magnetization curve indicate dominant ferromagnetic interactions, whereas a whirling antiferromagnetic order was observed in neutron diffraction experiments. In the antiferromagnetic phase, the magnetic moments are aligned almost perpendicular to a pseudofivefold symmetry axis, which corresponds to the easy-axis direction of a Tb atom. Magnetic properties similar to those of Au72Al14Tb14 in spite of the substantial difference in the Au concentration suggest the robustness of the easy-axis anisotropy against the chemical environment. ©2023 American Physical Society