Abstrakt
A GdFe5Al7 single crystal with the tetragonal ThMn12-type structure has been studied in magnetic fields up to 14 T. The compound is ordered ferrimagnetically below T (C) = 262 K.
Magnetization isotherms measured along the main crystallographic directions indicate that GdFe5Al7 displays easy-plane anisotropy. Anisotropy is also present within the basal plane between the [100] and [110] axes.
The easy magnetization direction is the [110] axis with the spontaneous magnetic moment M (s) = 0.58 A mu (B) /f.u. at T = 2 K.