Magnetic properties of high purity yttrium, lanthanum, and lutetium and the effects of impurities on these properties

Abstract

Magnetic susceptibility measurements have been carried out on single and polycrystalline specimens of lutetium between 1.5 and 300 °K by the Faraday method. Its susceptibility was found to be paramagnetic and almost independent of temperature. A broad maximum centered at approximately 120 °K was found. Due to the discrepancies in past results of yttrium and lanthanum, their susceptibilities were also measured. Yttrium and lutetium were found to have χ_a greater than χ_c. Provided the specimens were of high purity, the relationship χ_poly = (2/3)χ_a + (1/3)χ was well obeyed. Oxygen and hydrogen were found in general to lower the susceptibilities of these metals. The presence of an fcc phase in lanthanum was found to increase its susceptibility relative to a dhcp phase. An estimate of the susceptibility of pure fcc lanthanum is given.