Magnetic properties of cobalt in TbCo3-xCUx intermetallic compounds

The TbCO3-xCux compounds crystallize in a rhombohedral structure having R(3)(-)m space group for x <= 0.75. Magnetic measurements were performed in the temperature range 4.2-900 K and external fields up to 7 T. The compounds are ferrimagnetically ordered. The Curie temperatures decrease from 509 K (x = 0) up to 368 K (x = 0.75). The cobalt moments, at 4.2 K, decrease gradually while effective cobalt moments are quite constant when cooper ones replaces cobalt atoms. Finally the magnetic behaviour of cobalt in these compounds is analysed. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.