Magnetic Compton Scattering Study on Metamagnetism in Itinerant Uranium Compounds

We have investigated the itinerant uranium compound UCoAl using the magnetic Compton scattering technique. We have measured magnetic Compton profiles at 5 K with an applied magnetic fields of 1 and 3 T, both above the metamagnetic transition. We found that the magnetic effect in magnetic Compton scattering is negative at 1 T, which demonstrates that the spin moments of uranium 5f electrons dominate the total spin moments in this compound. It is also observed that the absolute value of the magnetic effect decreases as the magnetic field increases. This suggests that the cobalt spin moment is induced or increased by increasing magnetic field.