Anisotropic Magnetic Property of Single-Grained Al₆₈Pd₂₃Mn₉ Icosahedral Quasicrystals

Abstract

Magnetic properties were studied for single-grained Al₆₈Pd₂₃Mn₉ icosahedral quasicrystals which had high degree of structural perfections. An anisotropy associated with the directional order in the icosahedral phase was found for the first time in the nonlinear region of the magnetization-vs-magnetic-field curve of the single-grained quasicrystal along 5-, 3-, and 2-fold axes below 40 K. No anisotropy was found in the linear region, which is consistent with a symmetry consideration based on the icosahedral symmetry. The magnetic susceptibility obeyed a Curie-Weiss law with a Curie-Weiss temperature −0.81 K which suggests a weak antiferromagnetic coupling between magnetic moments.