Experimental evidence of pressure-induced suppression of the cobalt magnetic moment in ErCo2

Abstract

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements have demonstrated the modification of the magnetic moment of Co in ErCo2 induced by applying pressure. Co K-edge and Er L2-edge XAS and XMCD spectra recorded under applied hydrostatic pressures up to 4.2 GPa reveal that the modification of the magnetic properties of Co proceeds through two different pressure regimes. At low pressure, the Co atoms show an ordered magnetic moment induced by the effective field created by the Er sublattice. The Co moment progressively diminishes as the applied pressure increases, but it is not canceled for applied pressures of up to 4.2 GPa. The results show that the pressure mainly affects the Co subsystem without affecting the magnetism of the Er sublattice.