Observation of spin-glass-like characteristics in ferrimagnetic TbCo through energy-level-selective approach.

Rare earth (RE)-transition metal (TM) ferrimagnetic alloys are gaining increasing attention because of their potential use in the field of antiferromagnetic spintronics. The moment from RE sub-lattice primarily originates from the 4f-electrons located far below the Fermi level (E), and the moment from TM sub-lattice arises from the 3d-electrons across the E. Therefore, the individual magnetic moment configurations at different energy levels must be explored to clarify the microscopic mechanism of antiferromagnetic spin dynamics.