Inverse effect of morphotropic phase boundary on the magnetostriction of ferromagnetic Tb 1 - X Gd x Co 2

The morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) has been utilized extensively in ferroelectrics and recently has attracted interest in ferromagnets [S. Yang, H. Bao, C. Zhou, Y. Wang, X. Ren, Y. Matsushita, Y. Katsuya, M. Tanaka, K. Kobayashi, X. Song, and J. Gao, Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 197201 (2010)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.104.197201; R. Bergstrom, M. Wuttig, J. Cullen, P. Zavalij, R. Briber, C. Dennis, V. O. Garlea, and M. Laver, Phys. Rev. Lett. 111, 017203 (2013)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.111.017203] for obtaining enhanced large field-induced strain. Here we report that the MPB can also lead to weakening (the inverse effect as compared to the known MPB materials) of field-induced strain, as exhibited in the Tb1-xGdxCo2 system. With synchrotron x-ray diffractometry, the structure symmetry of TbCo2-rich compositions is detected to be rhombohedral below TC and that of GdCo2-rich compositions is tetragonal. The MPB composition Tb0.1Gd0.9Co2, corresponding to the two phases (rhombohedral and tetragonal) of coexistence, shows the exotic minimum (near zero) magnetostriction as well as the largest magnetic susceptibility among all samples. Further analysis suggests that whether MPB can enhance or weaken magnetostriction is determined by the degree of magnetic ordering of two end members that form ferromagnetic MPBs, which was not considered previously. Our work not only reveals a new type of ferromagnetic MPB, but also provides a new recipe for designing functional high-susceptibility and low-strain magnetic materials.