Crystal Structure and Magnetic Properties of Novel Compound PrFe₈Ga₃C

We have synthesized a novel intermetallic compound PrFe8Ga3C and studied its structure and magnetic properties. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the compound possesses a tetragonal BaCd11-type structure (space group I41/amd). In this structure Ga atoms occupy the same sites as Fe atoms with preferably filling the 4(b) site. Magnetization curves have been measured on the aligned powder samples. Below the Curie temperature TC = 400 K the easy magnetization direction was found to orient within the (100) plane. At 80 K the compound has a spontaneous magnetization of 97 emu/g and anisotropy constant of 4.2107 erg/cm3. At room temperature these values reduce to 78 emu/g and 4.7106 erg/cm3, respectively.