39 research outputs found
First order magnetic transition in CeFe alloys: Phase-coexistence and metastability
First order ferromagnetic (FM) to antiferromagnetic (AFM) phase transition in
doped-CeFe alloys is studied with micro-Hall probe technique. Clear visual
evidence of magnetic phase-coexistence on micrometer scales and the evolution
of this phase-coexistence as a function of temperature, magnetic field and time
across the first order FM-AFM transition is presented. Such phase-coexistence
and metastability arise as natural consequence of an intrinsic
disorder-influenced first order transition. Generality of this phenomena
involving other classes of materials is discussed.Comment: 11 pages of text and 3 figure