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

Abstract

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 (<10³ 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 ~270 K underscore the importance of these materials for potential applications in spintronics.