A comparative study of magnetic behaviors in TbNi2, TbMn2 and TbNi2Mn

All TbNi2, TbMn2, and TbNi2Mn compounds exhibit the cubic Laves phase with AB2-type structure in spite of the fact that the ratio of the Tb to transition-metal components in TbNi2Mn is 1:3. Rietveld refinement indicates that in TbNi2Mn the Mn atoms are distributed on both the A (8a) and B (16d) sites. The values of the lattice constants were measured to be a = 14.348 Å (space group F-43 m), 7.618 Å, and 7.158 Å (space group Fd-3 m) for TbNi2, TbMn2, and TbNi2Mn, respectively. The magnetic transition temperatures TC were found to be TC = 38 K and TC = 148 K for TbNi2 and TbNi2Mn, respectively, while two magnetic phase transitions are detected for TbMn2 at T1 = 20 K and T2 = 49 K. Clear magnetic history effects in a low magnetic field are observed in TbMn2 and TbNi2Mn. The magnetic entropy changes have been obtained.