Sharp magnetization step across the ferromagnetic-to-antiferromagnetic transition in doped CeFe<SUB>2</SUB> alloys

Very sharp magnetization step is observed across the field-induced antiferromagnetic-to-ferromagnetic transition in various doped CeFe2 alloys, when the measurement is performed below 5 K. In the higher temperature regime (T&gt;5 K) this transition is quite smooth in nature. Comparing to the recently observed similar behavior in manganites showing colossal magnetoresistance and magnetocaloric material Gd5Ge4, we argue that such a magnetization step is a generalized feature of a disorder-influenced first-order phase transition