MAGNETOCRYSTALLINE ANISOTROPY IN SOME RENI5 INTERMETALLICS

Measurements of the parallel M(parallel-to) and perpendicular M(perpen dicular-to) components of the magnetization to the applied magnetic fi eld H(A) have been carried out for all directions in the (010) plane o n single crystals of hexagonal NdNi5, TbNi5, and HoNi5. These measurem ents were performed using a steady magnetic field of 15 kOe, in the fe rromagnetic phase down to 4 K. These kinds of experiments allow a deta iled description of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy to be given. The polar dependencies of the M(parallel-to) and M(perpendicular-to) isot herms have been explained using a microscopic single-ion crystal elect ric field (CEF) and a molecular-field approximation to describe the ex change interaction.