New samarium and neodymium based admixed ferromagnets with near-zero net magnetization and tunable exchange bias field

摘要

Rare earth based intermetallics, SmScGe and NdScGe, are shown to exhibit near-zero net magnetization with substitutions of 6-9 atomic % of Nd and 25 atomic % of Gd, respectively. The notion of magnetic compensation in them is also elucidated by the crossover of 'zero magnetization' axis at low magnetic fields (< 10(3) Oe) and field-induced reversal in the orientation of the magnetic moments of the dissimilar rare earth ions at higher magnetic fields. These magnetically ordered materials with 'no-net' magnetization and appreciable conduction electron polarization display an attribute of an exchange bias field, which can be tuned. The attractively high magnetic ordering temperatures of similar to 270K underscore the importance of these materials for potential applications in spintronics.