Spin-flop transition in Gd$_5$Ge$_4$ observed by x-ray resonant magnetic scattering and first-principles calculations of magnetic anisotropy
L. Tan, A. Kreyssig, S. Nandi, S. Jia, Y. B. Lee, J. C. Lang, Z. Islam, T. A. Lograsso, D. L. Schlagel, V. K. Pecharsky, K. A. Gschneidner Jr., P. C. Canfield, B. N. Harmon, R. J. McQueeney, and A. I. Goldman

X-ray resonant magnetic scattering was employed to study a fully reversible spin-flop transition in orthorhombic Gd$_5$Ge$_4$ and to elucidate details of the magnetic structure in the spin-flop phase. The orientation of the moments at the three Gd sites flop $90^\circ$ from the \textbf{c}~axis to the \textbf{a}~axis when a magnetic field, $H_{\mathrm{sf}} = 9$~kOe, is applied along the \textbf{c}~axis at $T = 9$~K. The magnetic space group changes from $Pnm'a$ to $Pn'm'a'$ for all three Gd sublattices. The magnetic anisotropy energy determined from experimental measurements is in good agreement with the calculations of the magnetic anisotropy based on the spin-orbit coupling of the conduction electrons and an estimation of the dipolar interactions anisotropy. No significant magnetostriction effects were observed at the spin-flop transition.

© 2008 The American Physical Society.