Intrinsic magnetic properties of hydrided and non-hydrided Nd₅Fe₁₇ single crystals

We report on the spontaneous magnetization Ms, the exchange stiffness constant A and the magneto-crystalline anisotropy constants K₁, K₂, K₃ and K₄ of Nd₅Fe₁₇ and Nd₅Fe₁₇H₁₆ single crystals. Field dependencies of magnetization M(H) were measured along a, b' and c principal crystallographic directions within the temperature range of 10-600 K and magnetic fields up to 40 T. Large anisotropies of spontaneous magnetization and high-field susceptibility were revealed for both compounds. The exchange stiffness parameter A was determined using Bloch's T^3/2 law. In order to provide high accuracy detection of K₁(T), K₂(T), K₃(T) and K₄(T), we used two different approaches: the modified Sucksmith-Thompson technique and the Néel's phase method.