Magnetic and structural properties of the neodymium- dysprosium alloy system

The magnetic and structural properties of the neodymium- dysprosium alloy system have been measured over the entire composition range. The crystal structures change from hcp to Sm type to dhcp arrangement with increasing neodymium concentration. Magnetization and initial susceptibility measurements suggest that the dhcp phase does not order magnetically. In the Sm phase antiferromagnetic behaviour is observed while the hcp alloys show a step ordering process. The Neel points follow a 2/3 power law variation with a reduced de Gennes function G given by the difference of the de Gennes functions for the two components of the alloy.