Compressibility and Thermal Expansion of Heavy Rare Earth Metals and Alloys

Abstract

Linear compressibility and thermal expansion coefficient have been measured as a function of temperature on the polycrystals of the heavy rare earth metals, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho and Er and the binary alloys with each other. Anomalous linear compressibility was found near the magnetic transition temperature. The value of the linear compressibility at room temperature monotonically decreased with increasing average number of 4f electrons. The negative δ-type and λ-type anomalies of the thermal expansion coefficient were also found near the ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic transition temperature and T_c or T_N, respectively.