The influence of hexagonal anisotropy on the magnetic structure of antiferromagnetic rare earth metals and alloys

The effect of hexagonal base plane anisotropy on the antiferroniagnetic (AF) spiral spin structure of rare earth metals and alloys has been investigated. Minimization of the anisotropy energy is considered either by a reorientation of rigid coherent sections of the spiral or by a continuous modulation of the spiral periodicity. Both results indicate that when the spiral periodicity is commensurate with the hexagonal anisotropy the energy is greater than for spirals which are non-commensurate. The calculations predict that when the temperature is varied in the AF phase, the magnetic structure becomes unstable as a commensurate turn angle is approached, which may provide a qualitative explanation for the abrupt changes in the c-axis thermal expansion and temperature dependence of the elastic constant C₄₄ that have been observed experimentally in dysprosium and terbium-50% holmium. Further consequences of the spiral perturbation by hexagonal anisotropy are considered.