Prospects for light-rare-earth-based permanent magnet compound R$_{ 2}$Fe$_{ 14}$B (R=La$_{ 1-x}$Ce$_{ x}$ with $0 \le x\le 1$) are inspected from first principles referring to the latest experimental data. Ce-rich 2:14:1 compounds come with good structure stability, reasonably good combination of magnetization and magnetic anisotropy, while a drawback lies in the low Curie temperature that is only 120~K above the room temperature at the Ce$_2$Fe$_{ 14}$B limit. Best compromise is inspected on the basis of ab initio data for (La$_{ 1-x}$Ce$_{ x}$)$_2$Fe$_{ 14}$B referring to the magnetic properties of the champion magnet compound Nd$_{ 2}$Fe$_{ 14}$B and prerequisite conditions imposed by practical utility.
Categories: cond-mat.mtrl-sci