Magnetocrystalline anisotropy of some R/sub 2/Fe/sub 14/B-based quasiternary compounds

A study is presented of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the quasiternary systems (Pr/sub 1-x/Er/sub x/)/sub 2/Fe/sub 14/B and (Pr/sub 1-x/Sm/sub x/)/sub 2/Fe/sub 14/B in which, with increasing x, the easy-magnetization direction changes from easy axis to easy plane. Magnetization measurements on samples aligned magnetically at room temperature have been carried out in fields up to 20 T at temperatures ranging from 4.2 K to room temperature. The data of the easy-axis compounds are analyzed in terms of the anisotropy constants up to sixth-order, taking into account the misalignment of the grains in the magnetically-aligned samples. Special emphasis is given to the influence of the Sm and Er substitutions on the first-order magnetization process and the anisotropy energy of Pr/sub 2/Fe/sub 14/B.>