The low temperature specific heat of H0.40Cu0.37Y0.23 amorphous alloy

The low temperature specific heat parameters of the magnetic Ho0.40Cu0.37Y0.23 amorphous alloy have been investigated in the temperature range 2 to 50 K. The magnetic contributions to the specific heat, magnetic entropy changes, ordering temperatures, and the effective magnetic spin have been estimated for this alloy. The magnetic specific heat shows a broad shoulder with a characteristic temperature, T-m of about 23 K, followed at very low-temperatures by a Schottky-type anomaly. The value of T-m is higher than the freezing temperature, T-f (=13 K) as determined by AC susceptibility measurements. The magnetic entropy changes between 0 K and T-f (T-m) estimated to be 28 % (59 %) of the maximum theoretical value. This indicates that a substantial amount of short range-order persists above these characteristic temperatures. The behaviors of this amorphous alloy agree quite well with those of condensed rare earth amorphous systems.