Antiferromagnetic Coupling of Pr0.9RE0.1Ni (RE = Tb, Dy, Ho) Single Crystals

Magnetization and specific heat measurements were carried out on Pr0.9RE0.1Ni (RE = Tb,Dy, and Ho) single crystals. Spin rearrangements were observed along the c-axis ofsingle crystals with relatively small critical fields, Bc = 6.8, 4.0 and 2.6 T for RE = Tb,Dy and Ho, respectively. The magnetic phase transition temperatures, TM, were extracted from the specific heat data: TM = 22.7, 19.6 and 18.3 K with RE = Tb, Dy and Ho, respectively. The observed Bc values were used to estimate the heterogeneous (Pr-RE) exchange strength, and then calculate expected TM values, which were found to be close to the experimental ones. The present results of Bc and TM, together with the previous ones of Pr0.9Gd0.1Ni, were found to be consistent with the de Gennes rule