X-ray diffraction study in high magnetic fields of magnetovolume effect in itinerant-electron metamagnetic La(Fe0.88Si0.12)13 compound

Magnetovolume effect due to the itinerant-electron metamagnetic (IEM) transition in La(Fe0.88Si0.12)(13) has been investigated by x-ray diffraction measurements in high magnetic fields. No crystal structure change was confirmed after the IEM transition. The relative change in the lattice constant measured perpendicular to the magnetic field direction is similar to the longitudinal linear magnetostriction, and hence the volume change due to the IEM transition is isotropic. The volume change in both the ferromagnetic and the paramagnetic states is proportional to the square of the magnetization, though the magnetovolume coupling constant in the former is smaller than that in the latter. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.