Mechanical and Magnetostrictive Properties of Fe—Doped Ni52Mn24Ga24 Single Crystals

To improve the magnetic and mechanical properties of a Heusler alloy of Ni52Mn24Ga24,iron was doped with some cotents,Single crystals of the pseudoquaternary Heusler alloy of Ni52Mn8Fe15Ga24 have been synthesized for mechanical and magnetostrictive measurements.The magnetostriction loops and stress-strain curves were measured under different coupled magnetic-mechanical loads.The experimental results show that the brittleness of the sample is clearly improved and Yong‘s modulus of 13.7GPa is obtained in the [001] direction due to the part substitution of Fe for Mn.Furthermore,the toughness and Vickers hardness of the sample are also given by use of the indentation technique.     

Stability,electronic structures,and mechanical properties of Fe–Mn–Al system from first-principles calculations

The stability, electronic structures, and mechanical properties of the Fe–Mn–Al system were determined by firstprinciples calculations. The formation enthalpy and cohesive energy of these Fe–Mn–Al alloys are negative and show that the alloys are thermodynamically stable. Fe_3Al, with the lowest formation enthalpy, is the most stable compound in the Fe–Mn–Al system. The partial density of states, total density of states, and electron density distribution maps of the Fe–Mn–Al alloys were analyzed. The bonding characteristics of these Fe–Mn–Al alloys are mainly combinations of covalent bonding and metallic bonds. The stress-strain method and Voigt–Reuss–Hill approximation were used to calculate the elastic constants and moduli, respectively. Fe_(2.5)Mn_(0.5)Al has the highest bulk modulus, 234.5 GPa. Fe_(1.5)Mn_(1.5)Al has the highest shear modulus and Young's modulus, with values of 98.8 GPa and 259.2 GPa, respectively. These Fe–Mn–Al alloys display disparate anisotropies due to the calculated different shape of the three-dimensional curved surface of the Young's modulus and anisotropic index. Moreover, the anisotropic sound velocities and Debye temperatures of these Fe–Mn–Al alloys were explored.     

Effects of post-sinter annealing on microstructure and magnetic properties of Nd–Fe–B sintered magnets with Nd–Ga intergranular addition

We investigate the effects of post-sinter annealing on the microstructure and magnetic properties in B-lean Nd–Fe–B sintered magnets with different quantities of Nd–Ga intergranular additions. The magnet with fewer Nd–Ga additions can enhance 0.2 T in coercivity, with its remanences nearly unchanged after annealing. With the further increase of the Nd–Ga addition, the annealing process leads coercivity to increase 0.4 T, accompanied by a slight decrease of remanence. With the Nd–Ga addition further increasing and after annealing, however, the increase of coercivity is basically constant and the change of remanence is reduced. Microstructure observation indicates that the matrix grains are covered by continuous thin grain boundary phase in the magnets with an appropriate Nd–Ga concentration after the annealing process. However, the exceeding Nd–Ga addition brings out notable segregation of grain boundary phase, and prior formation of part RE6 Fe13 Ga phase in the sintered magnet. This prior formation results in a weaker change of remanence after the annealing process.Therefore, the diverse changes of magnetic properties with different Nd–Ga concentrations are based on the respective evolution of grain boundary after the annealing process.     

Regulating element distribution to improve magnetic properties of sintered Nd–Fe–B/Tb–Fe–B composite magnets

Nd content was varied in Nd_(13.2-x)Fe_(80.8+x)B_6(x = 0, 0.5, 1, and 1.5) to optimize the magnetic properties of sintered Nd–Fe–B/Tb–Fe–B composite magnets, which were prepared by mixing 9 g of Nd–Fe–B with 1 g of Tb_(17)Fe_(75)B_8 powder.In conventional magnets, by reducing Nd content, the coercivity of 10.4 kOe in Nd_(13.2)Fe_(80.8)B_6 decreases to 7.2 kOe in Nd_(12.2)Fe_(81.8)B_6; meanwhile, in Nd–Fe–B/Tb–Fe–B magnets the coercivity does not decrease when reducing Nd content.In the intergranular phase, the Tb content increases owing to the reducing Nd content of the Nd–Fe–B alloy in the sintered composite magnets.Therefore, the excess Tb in Tb_(17)Fe_(75)B_8 enters the intergranular phase, and more Tb atoms can substitute for Nd at the grain boundary of the Nd–Fe–B phase, leading to a more significant increase in coercivity.The remanence increases with reducing Nd content, and the energy product of 39.1 MGOe with a high coercivity of 21.0 kOe is obtained in Nd_(12.2)Fe_(81.8)B_6/Tb_(17)Fe_(75)B_8 magnets.These investigations show that magnetic properties can be further improved by regulating the element distribution in sintered composite magnets.     

Structural and electrical properties of Ga–Te systems under high pressure

First-principles evolutionary calculation was performed to search for all probable stable Ga–Te compounds at extreme pressure. In addition to the well-known structures of P6_3/mmc and Fm-3 m Ga Te and I4/m Ga_2 Te_5, several new structures were uncovered at high pressure, namely, orthorhombic I4/mmm GaTe_2 and monoclinic C2/m Ga Te_3, and all the Ga–Te structures stabilize up to a maximum pressure of 80 GPa. The calculation of the electronic energy band indicated that the high-pressure phases of the Ga–Te system are metallic, whereas the low-pressure phases are semiconductors. The electronic localization functions(ELFs) of the Ga–Te system were also calculated to explore the bond characteristics. The results showed that a covalent bond is formed at low pressure, however, this bond disappears at high pressure, and an ionic bond is formed at extreme pressure.     

Strain-tuned magnetic properties in (Ga,Fe)Sb:First-principles study

In view of the importance of enhancing ferromagnetic(FM) coupling in dilute magnetic semiconductors(DMSs),the effects of strain on the electronic structures and magnetic properties of(Ga,Fe)Sb were examined by a first-principles study.The results of the investigation indicate that Fe_(Ga) substitution takes place in the low-spin state(LSS) with a total magnetic moment of 1μB in the strain range of-3% to 0.5%,which transitions to the high-spin state(HSS) with a total magnetic moment of 5μB as the strain changes from 0.6% to 3%.We attribute the changes in the amount and distribution of the total moment to the influence of the crystal field under different strains.The FM coupling is strongest under a strain of about0.5%,but gradually becomes weaker with increasing compressive and tensile strains.The magnetic coupling mechanism is discussed in detail.Our results highlight the important contribution of strain to magnetic moment and FM interaction intensity,and present an interesting avenue for the future design of high Curie temperature(T_C) materials in the(Ga,Fe)Sb system.     

Influence of compressive strain on the incorporation of indium in InGaN and InAlN ternary alloys

In order to investigate the influence of compressive strain on indium incorporation in In Al N and In Ga N ternary nitrides,In Al N/Ga N heterostructures and In Ga N films were grown by metal–organic chemical vapor deposition.For the heterostructures,different compressive strains are produced by Ga N buffer layers grown on unpatterned and patterned sapphire substrates thanks to the distinct growth mode;while for the In Ga N films,compressive strains are changed by employing Al Ga N templates with different aluminum compositions.By various characterization methods,we find that the compressive strain will hamper the indium incorporation in both In Al N and In Ga N.Furthermore,compressive strain is conducive to suppress the non-uniform distribution of indium in In Ga N ternary alloys.     

Magnetocrystalline Anisotropy and Magnetoelasticity of Preferentially Oriented Martensitic Variants in Ni52Mn24Ga24 Single Crystals

The magnetocrystalline anisotropy and magnetoelasticity of preferentially oriented martensitic variants in an off-stoichiometric Ni52Mn24Ga24 single crystal have been investigated.We found that the easy magnetization direction of the martensite phase in the [110] direction,and the hard magnetization exhibited in [001],the growth direction of single crystals.The temperature dependence of the anisotropy fields and constants of Ni52Mn24Ga24 have been determined.It was found that,at the martensite phase,the anisotropy field increases monotonically with decreasing temperature,but the anisotropy constant first increases rapidly and then the increasing rate becomes smaller and smaller.Based on a previous model,the present results suggest that the competition between the Zeeman energy and the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy is mainly responsible for the magnitude of magnetic-field-induced strain in this material.     

Fabrication and magnetic properties of Ni0.50.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanofibres by electrospinning

NiZn ferrite/polyvinylpyrrolidone composite fibres were prepared by sol–gel assisted electrospinning.Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanofibres with a pure cubic spinel structure were obtained subsequently by calcination of the composite fibres at high temperatures.This paper investigates the thermal decomposition process,structures and morphologies of the electrospun composite fibres and the calcined Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanofibres at different temperatures by thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis,x-ray diffraction,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy.The magnetic behaviour of the resultant nanofibres was studied by a vibrating sample magnetometer.It is found that the grain sizes of the nanofibres increase significantly and the nanofibre morphology gradually transforms from a porous structure to a necklace-like nanostructure with the increase of calcination temperature.The Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanofibres obtained at 1000 C for 2 h are characterized by a necklace-like morphology and diameters of 100–200 nm.The saturation magnetization of the random Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanofibres increases from 46.5 to 90.2 emu/g when the calcination temperature increases from 450 to 1000 C.The coercivity reaches a maximum value of 11.0 kA/m at a calcination temperature of 600 C.Due to the shape anisotropy,the aligned Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 nanofibres exhibit an obvious magnetic anisotropy and the ease magnetizing direction is parallel to the nanofibre axis.     

Site Preference and Alloying Effect of Excess Ni in Ni-Mn-Ga Shape Memory Alloys

The formation energies and electronic structures of Ni-rich Ni-Mn-Ga alloys have been investigated by firstprinciples calculations using the pseudopotential plane wave method based on density functional theory. The results show that the alloying Ni prefers to occupy the Mn site directly in Ni9Mn3Ga4 and to occupy the Mn site and drive the displaced Mn atom to the Ga site in NigMn4Ga3, which is in accordance with the experimental result. According to the lattice constants and the density of states analyses, these site preference behaviours are closely related to the smaller lattice distortion and the lower-energy electronic structure when the excess Ni occupies the Mn site. The effect of Ni alloying on martensitic transformation is discussed and the enhancement of martensitic transformation temperature by Ni alloying is estimated by the calculated formation energy difference between austenite and martensite phases.     

Effect of chemical ordering annealing on superelasticity of Ni–Mn–Ga–Fe ferromagnetic shape memory alloy microwires

Ni_(50)Mn_(25)Ga_(20)Fe_5 ferromagnetic shape memory alloy microwires with diameters of ～ 30–50 μm and grain sizes of ～ 2–5 μm were prepared by melt-extraction technique. A step-wise chemical ordering annealing was carried out to improve the superelasticity strain and recovery ratio which were hampered by the internal stress, compositional inhomogeneity,and high-density defects in the as-extracted Ni_(50)Mn_(25)Ga_(20)Fe_5 microwires. The annealed microwires exhibited enhanced atomic ordering degree, narrow thermal hysteresis, and high saturation magnetization under a low magnetic field. As a result, the annealed microwire showed decreased superelastic critical stress, improved reversibility, and a high superelastic strain(1.9%) with a large recovery ratio(96%). This kind of filamentous material with superior superelastic effects may be promising materials for minor-devices.     

Magnetic-Field-Induced Strains of Bonded Ni-Mn-Ga Melt-Spun Ribbons

Non-stoichiometric Ni50Mn27 Ga23 polycrystalline ribbons are prepared by melt-spinning technique. The magneticfield-induced strain （MFIS） of Ni-Mn-Ga bulk alloy prepared by bonding the melt-spun ribbons is obtained. The experimental results show that Ni50Mn27Ga23 bonded ribbons exhibit a typical thermal-elastic shape memory effect in the thickness direction. The martensitic transformation strain of bonded ribbons is an expansive strain of about 0.3% without the magnetic field and a contractive strain of about -0.46% at the magnetic field of 1 T. The field can not only enhance the value of the martensitic transformation strain of the bonded ribbons, but can also change the direction of the strain. The bonded ribbons alloy presents negative MFIS and obtains a larger value of the strain though influenced by the adhesive between the ribbons. Therefore, the preparation technique of the Ni-Mn-Ga bulk alloy by bonding melt-spun ribbons is helpful to get rid of the size restriction of the ribbon and to broaden the applications of the ribbons.     

Nanoscale spatial phase modulation of GaAs growth in V-grooved trenches on Si(001) substrate

This letter reports the nanoscale spatial phase modulation of Ga As growth in V-grooved trenches fabricated on a Si(001) substrate by metal–organic vapor-phase epitaxy. Two hexagonal Ga As regions with high density of stacking faults parallel to Si {111} surfaces are observed. A strain-relieved and defect-free cubic phase Ga As was achieved above these highly defective regions. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and fast Fourier transforms analysis were performed to characterize these regions of Ga As/Si interface. We also discussed the strain relaxation mechanism and phase structure modulation of Ga As selectively grown on this artificially manipulated surface.     

MICROSTRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SPIN—VALVE MULTILAYERS BY X—RAY ANOMALYOUS DIFFRACTION TECHNIQUE

It is impossible to directly analyze the microstructure of spin-valve multilayers based on Ni,F,Cu and Mn by a conventional X-ray diffraction technique because the lattice parameter and atomic sattering factor sof them are very close.To solve this problem, we use an x-ray anomalous diffraction technique to characterize the microstructures of the [Ni80Fe20/Fe50Mn50]15 and [Ni80Fe20/Cu]15 superlattice systems.The results show that more diffraction peaks and higher internsity in the reflectivety profile are observed when the incident energy is close to the absorption edge of the lighter element(Mn) in [Ni80Fe20/Fe50Mn50]15 multilayer systems and to the absorption edge of the heavier element (Cu) in the [Ni80Fe20/Cu]15 multilayer systems.The interface and periodic structure of [Ni80F20/Fe50Mn50]15 are more perfect than that of the [Ni80Fe20/Cu]15 superlattices.The above results are disussed in this paper.     

Effect of milling atmosphere on structural and magnetic properties of Ni-Zn ferrite nanocrystalline

Powder mixtures of Zn, Ni O, and Fe2O3 are mechanically alloyed by high energy ball milling to produce Ni–Zn ferrite with a nominal composition of Ni0.36Zn0.64Fe2O4. The effects of milling atmospheres(argon, air, and oxygen),milling time(from 0 to 30 h) and heat treatment are studied. The products are characterized using x-ray diffractometry,field emission scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and transmitted electron microscopy. The results indicate that the desired ferrite is not produced during the milling in the samples milled under either air or oxygen atmospheres. In those samples milled under argon, however, Zn/Ni O/Fe2O3 reacts with a solid-state diffusion mode to produce Ni–Zn ferrite nanocrystalline in a size of 8 nm after 30-h-milling. The average crystallite sizes decrease to 9 nm and 10 nm in 30-h-milling samples under air and oxygen atmospheres, respectively. Annealing the 30-h-milling samples at 600°C for 2 h leads to the formation of a single phase of Ni–Zn ferrite, an increase of crystallite size, and a reduction of internal lattice strain. Finally, the effects of the milling atmosphere and heating temperature on the magnetic properties of the 30-h-milling samples are investigated.     

Electronic and optical properties of GaN–MoS_2 heterostructure from first-principles calculations

Heterostructures(HSs) have attracted significant attention because of their interlayer van der Waals interactions. The electronic structures and optical properties of stacked GaN–MoS_2 HSs under strain have been explored in this work using density functional theory. The results indicate that the direct band gap(1.95 e V) of the Ga N–MoS_2 HS is lower than the individual band gaps of both the GaN layer(3.48 e V) and the MoS_2 layer(2.03 eV) based on HSE06 hybrid functional calculations. Specifically, the GaN–MoS_2 HS is a typical type-II band HS semiconductor that provides an effective approach to enhance the charge separation efficiency for improved photocatalytic degradation activity and water splitting efficiency.Under tensile or compressive strain, the direct band gap of the GaN–MoS_2 HS undergoes redshifts. Additionally, the GaN–MoS_2 HS maintains its direct band gap semiconductor behavior even when the tensile or compressive strain reaches 5% or-5%. Therefore, the results reported above can be used to expand the application of Ga N–MoS_2 HSs to photovoltaic cells and photocatalysts.     

Synthesis and performance of Zn–Ni–P thin films

The electroplating of Zn–Ni–P thin film alloys from a sulfate bath containing phosphoric and phosphorous acid was investigated. The bath composition and the deposition parameters were optimized through Hull cell experiments, and the optimum experimental conditions were determined(p H = 2, temperature = 298–313 K, zinc sulfate concentration =30 g·L-1, EDTA concentration = 15 g·L-1, and current density = 1.0–2.0 A·dm-2). The SEM analysis of the coating deposited from the optimum bath revealed fine-grained deposits of the alloy in the presence of EDTA. Optical microscopy analysis indicated an electrodeposited thin film with uniform thickness and good adhesion to the steel substrate. The good adherence of the coatings was also demonstrated by the scratch tests that were performed, with a maximum determined value of 25 N for the critical load. Corrosion resistance tests revealed good protection of the steel substrate by the obtained Zn–Ni–P coatings, with values up to 85.89% for samples with Ni contents higher than 76%. The surface analysis of the thin film samples before and after corrosion was performed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).     

New levels and transitions in ^72Ge following thedecay of ^72Ga

The decay of ^72Ga has been investigated by means of γ-ray spectroscopy. The 72Ga nuclei were produced through the ^71Ga(n, γ)^72Ga reaction. The Compton-suppressed spectrometer and high-purity Ge detectors have been used singly and in coincidence, separately, to study γ-rays in the β-decay of ^72Ga to ^72Ge. Ninety-three events of γ-rays were reported, of which 7 were observed for the first time. A decay scheme of ^72Ga including 4 new levels is proposed which accommodates 87 of these transitions. Spins and parities for new levels are proposed from calculated logft values, modes on the observed decay, and some nuclear reaction experimental results.     

LaGa-based bulk metallic glasses

We report the formation of La Ga-based bulk metallic glasses. Ternary La–Ga–Cu glassy rods of 2–3 mm in diameter can be easily formed in a wide composition range by the conventional copper mold casting method. With minor addition of extra elements such as Co, Ni, Fe, Nb, Y, and Zr, the critical diameter of the full glassy rods of the La–Ga–Cu matrix can be markedly enhanced to at least 5 mm. The characteristics and properties of these new La Ga-based bulk metallic glasses with excellent glass formation ability and low glass transition temperature are model systems for fundamental issues investigation and could have some potential applications in micromachining field.     

Perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction and its application in magnetic random access memory

Recent progresses in magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy(PMA) are reviewed and summarized. At first, the concept and source of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy(PMA) are introduced. Next, a historical overview of PMA materials as magnetic electrodes, such as the RE–TM alloys TbFeCo and GdFeCo, novel tetragonal manganese alloys Mn–Ga, L10-ordered(Co, Fe)/Pt alloy, multilayer film [Co, Fe, CoFe/Pt, Pd, Ni, Au]N, and ultra-thin magnetic metal/oxidized barrier is offered. The other part of the article focuses on the optimization and fabrication of CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB p-MTJs, which is thought to have high potential to meet the main demands for non-volatile magnetic random access memory.