Mean field analysis of exchange coupling in amorphous DyFe2-B alloy ribbons

Experimental magnetization-temperature curves for melt-spun ribbons of amorphous alloys (Dy0.33Fe0.67)(1-x)B-x with x = 0, 0.05, 0.1 and 0.15 (in atomic fraction) are fitted with theoretical equations based on the mean field theory in order to investigate exchange couplings between constituent elements as a function of the B content. The sign of the exchange coupling between Dy and Fe is negative, indicating that the magnetization direction of Dy is antiparallel to that of Fe. The sign of the other two couplings are positive. The exchange coupling between Fe ions are greatest, while that between Dy ions is negligible. The exchange couplings between Fe ions, and between Dy and Fe increase with increasing B content, the increase of the latter being much greater than the former. Resultantly, the exchange coupling between Dy and Fe becomes about one half of that between Fe ions at the highest B content. The increase of the exchange coupling between Fe ions may be explained by the increase of the Fe-Fe separation with the increase of the B content. The total magnetization is dominated by the Dy sublattice magnetization. As the B content increases, the magnetization decreases over the whole temperature range, and the Curie temperature also decreases. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.