AC susceptibility measurements in some RTiFe_11-xCo_x (R = Dy, Ho, Er) compounds: Spin-reorientation behavior

The DyTiFe_{11 - x}Co_x (x = 0, 1, 3), HoTiFe_{11 - x}Co_x (x = 0, 3) and ErTiFe₁₁ compounds, all exhibiting the T hMn₁₂-type structure, were studied for their ac susceptibility in the temperature range 20-300 K. The Dy- and Ho-containing compounds exhibited spin reorientation from axial to cone to planar, or from axial to cone in the temperature range 250-50 K, as expected. In this structure Dy and Ho with negative second-order Stevens' coefficients (α_J < 0) favor planar rare earth sublattice anisotropy, while Fe and Co sublattices favor uniaxial and planar anisotropies, respectively and would be in competition as a function of temperature. A spin-reorientation type of behavior was also observed in the ErTiFe₁₁ compound near 50 K. This observation appears to imply that, in this compound, the higher-order crystal-field terms are important. The magnetization data revealed that in these systems the rare earth and transition metal sublattices coupled antiparallel, as is normally the case in the heavy rare-earth-transition-metal compounds.