  The structural and magnetic properties of Pr-alloyed MnBi (short MnBi-Pr)
nanostructures with a range of Pr concentrations have been investigated. The
nanostructures include thin films having Pr concentrations 0, 2, 3, 5 and 9
atomic percent and melt-spun ribbons having Pr concentrations 0, 2, 4 and 6
percent respectively. Addition of Pr into the MnBi lattice has produced a
significant change in the magnetic properties of these nanostructures including
an increase in coercivity and structural phase transition temperature, and a
decrease in saturation magnetization and anisotropy energy. The highest value
of coercivity measured in the films is 23 kOe and in the ribbons is 5.6 kOe.
The observed magnetic properties are explained as the consequences of competing
ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions.
