Anomalous magnetic properties of the compound SmCo[sub 3]B[sub 2].

Magnetization measurements for the compound SmCo[sub 3]B[sub 2] have been performed on loose powder in magnetic fields to 5 T and in the temperature region from 4.2 to 60 K. A small saturation moment of 0.18 μ[sub B]/SmCo[sub 3]B[sub 2] at T=4.2 K and its variation with increasing temperature suggest ferrimagnetic ordering in SmCo[sub 3]B[sub 2], which is explained as the effect of a higher order crystalline field coefficient. A magnetic first order transition occurs at T=43 K and metamagnetism occurs in the narrow temperature region between 43 and 47 K, for which some possible discussions are given. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]