Investigation of the pressure and temperature dependence of the intrinsic magnetic properties of YCo4Ge

The YCo₄Ge intrinsic magnetic properties; such as the saturation magnetization and the magnetocrystalline anisotropy parameters; are determined at 5, 100, 200 and 300 K from a fit of the isothermal magnetization curves measured in applied field up to 10 T. Ge for Co substitution induces a reduction of the first order anisotropy parameter as well as of the uniaxial anisotropy field. At 4 K an anisotropy field of 5.8 T is obtained, whereas a value of that is observed at room temperature. The magnetocrystalline anisotropy found for YCo₄Ge is significantly reduced upon heating from 4 to 300 K. The investigation of the magnetic properties of YCo₄Ge in both the ordered and the paramagnetic phases shows that this YCo₄Ge compound exhibits a typical itinerant ferromagnetic behavior. The effect of applied pressure on the isothermal magnetization has been investigated showing that the volume has an important influence on the magnetization of YCo₄Ge. The influence of the Ge for Co substitution on the Co-Co exchange interaction is also discussed. The results are compared and commented on in the light of earlier reports for YCo₅ and other Co containing phases.