On the gradual character of the first-order spin reorientation transition in DyFe11Ti

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Abstract
Proceeding from recently published crystal field parameters, I demonstrate that the first-order spin reorientation transition point in DyFe 12−x Ti x depends strongly on the value of titanium content x. This leads, due to inevitable small spatial variation of composition, to significant broadening of the first-order transition, giving it an appearance of a continuous process. Yet it can be unmistakably identified as a first-order phase transition, thanks to the characteristic shape of the temperature dependence of the spin orientation angle θ. What makes first- and second-order spin reorientation transitions clearly distinct is the shape, rather than width, of the “step” in the θ(T) dependence. Small differences of composition are also found to account for the outstanding discrepancies between the experimental studies carried out on different single crystals of DyFe 11 Ti , thus bringing the decade-long controversy to an end.

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