Influence of Ru on Magnetism of R2Fe17 (R = Y, Lu, and Er)

The study of unusual influence of Ru substitution for Fe on magnetic properties of Lu2Fe17 is extended to a series of R2Fe17. The work is performed on single-crystalline samples of Lu2Fe16Ru, Y2Fe17-x Ru-x (0 <= x <= 1) and Er2Fe17-xRux (x = 0, 1) compounds. The collinear ferromagnetic ground state present in the R2Fe17 (Y and Lu) parent alloys is destroyed in R2Fe17-xRux, and antiferromagnetism is stabilized in the whole temperature range of magnetic order. The ordering temperatures of R2Fe16Ru (R = Y, Lu, Er) are 120 K, and no evidence of spontaneous magnetization is found in any of the alloys. The Fe sublattice in Er2Fe16Ru is most likely to be antiferromagnetic as well, however the type of magnetic order of the Er sublattice is not clear. All the compounds under study possess an easy-plane type of magnetic anisotropy and exhibit wide field-induced hysteretic transitions at low temperatures.