The structural and magnetic properties of Ni2Mn1−xBxGa Heusler alloys

The influence of the substitution of manganese by boron on the crystal structure and magnetic properties of Ni₂Mn_1−xB_xGa Heusler alloys with 0?x?0.5 has been investigated using X-ray diffraction, thermal expansion, resistivity, and magnetization measurements. The samples with concentrations x<0.25 were found to be of single phase and belonged to the cubic L2₁ crystal structure at room temperature. Crystal cell parameters of the alloys decreased from 5.830 to 5.825 Å with increasing boron concentration (x) from 0 to 0.25. The alloys were ferromagnetically ordered at 5 K and the saturation magnetization decreased with increasing boron concentration. The ferromagnetic ordering and structural transition temperatures for 0?x?0.3 have been observed and the phase (x−T) diagram of the Ni₂Mn_1−xB_xGa system was constructed. The phase (x−T) diagram indicates that the ground state of Ni₂Mn_1−xB_xGa alloys belongs to ferromagnetic martensitic, premartensitic, and austenitic phases in x?0.12, 0.12<x?0.18, and 0.18<x?0.3, respectively. The relative influence of cell parameters and electron concentrations on the phase diagram is discussed.     

Effects of the substitution of gallium with boron on the physical and mechanical properties of Ni–Mn–Ga shape memory alloys

The effects of the substitution of gallium with boron on the physical, mechanical and magnetic shape memory properties of Ni₅₁Mn_28.5Ga_20.5?x B _x (at.%) (x = 0, 1, 2, 3) polycrystalline alloys are investigated. It has been found that transformation temperatures are decreasing while hardness is increasing with boron addition. B-doping of NiMnGa alloys results in the formation of a second phase that increases its ductility and strength in compression. Moreover, saturation magnetization of austenite is decreasing, while Curie temperature of austenite is increasing with B-doping.     

Studies on the valence state of Ce and Eu in some new boron and silicon containing rare earth intermetallic compounds

Compounds of the formula RPd₃B _x (R=rare earth with 0?x?1) and RPd₃Si _x (R=La, Ce, Eu with 0?x?0.3) can be prepared by alloying boron or silicon with parent RPd₃ compounds. Addition of boron (silicon) does not change the structure but results in lattice expansion. The valence state of Ce in CePd₃ and that of Eu in EuPd₃ is strongly influenced by boron and silicon. Ce is known to be in a valence fluctuating state in CePd₃ while Eu is trivalent (J=0) in EuPd₃. The increase in the lattice parameter as a function of boron concentration is observed to be larger in CePd₃B _x and EuPd₃B _x compared to that in other RPd₃B _x alloys giving the first indication of the change in the valence state of Ce and Eu. This is confirmed from susceptibility measurements. With the addition of boron, susceptibility increases and the effective paramagnetic moments approach the values corresponding to Ce³⁺ (J=5/2, μ_eff=2.54 μ _B ) and Eu²⁺ (J=7/2, μ_eff=7.94 μ _B ) in the two alloy systems CePd₃B _x and EuPd₃B _x respectively. In the case of europium alloys,¹⁵¹Eu Mössbauer studies point out the importance of near-neighbour environment effects. Further, in EuPd₃B, where all the europium ions are crystallographically equivalent, a single Mössbauer line, with an isomer shift characteristic of europium ions in valence-fluctuating state, is observed at 300 K. However, at 88 K the Mössbauer absorption splits into two lines corresponding to europium ions in two valence states,e.g. divalent- and trivalent-like. Such a behaviour indicates thermally-induced charge ordering of europium ions. Addition of silicon to CePd₃, like boron, results in unusual lattice expansion and changes the valency of cerium towards 3⁺. the valence change is further corroborated by susceptibility measurements. In EuPd₃Si _x alloys, susceptibility and Mössbauer studies indicate that in the limiting single phase alloy EuPd₃Si_0.25 the europium ions are on the verge of valence instability. Susceptibility results on CeRh₃B _x alloys are also presented.     

Effect of Co or Mn addition on the soft magnetic properties of amorphous Fe89−xZr11Bx (x=5, 10) alloy ribbons

The temperature and field dependent magnetic properties of melt-spun amorphous Fe_89−x−yZr₁₁B_x(Co,Mn)_y (x=5, 10 and 0≤y≤10) alloys in the temperature range 5-1200 K are reported. The Curie temperature and saturation magnetization at room temperature increase (decrease) almost linearly with Co (Mn) addition. With increasing Co concentration, the room temperature coercivity increases at the rate of 2.26 (0.28) A/m per at% for the x=5 (10) samples. The high-field magnetic susceptibility and local magnetic anisotropy decrease (increases) rapidly with increasing Co (Mn) concentration. The thermomagnetic curves show a marked increase in magnetization above 850 K corresponding to the crystallization of α-FeCo (α-Fe) phase in samples containing Co (Mn). The Curie temperature of the crystalline phase increases (remains same) with increasing Co (Mn) concentration with the formation of α-FeCo (α-Fe). Addition of Co up to 10 at% in Fe-Zr-B improves the room temperature saturation magnetization from 0.56 to 1.2 T, and Curie temperature from 315 to 476 K. Also, the coercivity increases with Co addition from 1.27 to 23.88 A/m for x=5 and from 7.64 to 10.35 A/m for x=10 alloy. The non-collinear spin structures that characterize Fe rich Fe-Zr-B amorphous alloys have been used to describe the observed results.     

Magnetostriction of ferromagnetic metallic glasses

Linear saturation magnetostrictions (295 K) of Fe_80t-xCo_xB₂₀, 0?x?80, and Fe_80?xNi_xB₂₀, 0?x?60 (at. %) glasses are reported. The saturation magnetostrictions of the Fe-Ni-base glasses vary as the sqaure of their respective saturation magnetizations. The behavior in the Fe-Co-base glasses is strikingly different. The compositional trends suggest a difference in origin of magnetostrictions between Fe-Ni-base and Co-containing glasses. When magnetostrictions for these glasses are compared with those for Fe-Co and Fe-Ni polycrystalline alloys, the most significant discrepancies appear in the Fe-rich compositions. This is probably related to the difference in short range order between the crystalline and non-crystalline Fe-rich alloys: α-Fe is 8-fold coordinated whereas all of the metallic glasses studied show ～ 12-fold metal coordination.     

Magnetization and NMR study of amorphous Ni-P alloys in the paramagnetic concetration range

The temperature- and field-dependence of magnetization, and the ³¹P NMR linewidth and Knight shift of some amorphous Ni_100?xP_x alloys with 18? x ? 22 prepared by melt-quenching and electrodeposition were studied below room temperature. Although all the alloys investigated contain magnetic inhomogeneities, the amount and nature of which depend on impurities and on the details of sample preparation, it could be established that the amorphous matrix of Ni_100?xP_x alloys with x ? 18 exhibit Pauli paramagnetism and the Pauli susceptibility was found to decrease rapidly with P content. From the results, a similarity of the electronic structure and the short-range order in amorphous Ni-P alloys and in the crystalline Ni₃P compound is deduced.     

Magnetic anisotropy,magnetostriction and intermediate range order in Co-P alloys

Coercivity, magnetostriction and saturation field as a measure of magnetic ansitropy energy have been investigated in Co_100-xP_x with 5 ? x ? 26. According to their magnetization curves and coercivities crystalline alloys (5 ? x ? 11) contain hcp-inclusions whereas amorphous material (12 ? x ? 26) is magnetically soft. The saturation magnetization is mainly determined by the nearest neighbour shell but magnetostriction is also correlated with the further environment of the cobalt atoms. The abrupt breakdown of the value |λ_s| of the saturation magnetostriction with increasing phosphorus content of the crystalline alloys points to a growing structural disorder. λ_s of the amorphous material depends on the saturation magnetization alone (λ_s ≈ σ₀²) which decreases with increasing phosphorus content. The small value of λ_s suggests that angular correlations do not exceed the second coordination shell.     

Amorphous magnetic alloys near critical concentration: Low field reversible dc magnetization

Measurements of the reversible magnetization at low dc fields have been used to investigate the magnetic response near the multicritical point (x_c) of two sets of amorphous alloys. In both cases, the ferromagnetic (FM) to spin glass (SG) transition line is found to be non-monotonic. The collapse of the magnetization as x→x⁺_c and the rapid increase in the susceptibility as x→x^-_c are suggestive of a percolation transition in the magnetic network at x=x_c. From a study of the non-linear susceptibility in the most concentrated spin glass alloy in each system, we obtain scaling exponents in agreement with previous reports providing further support for a thermodynamic phase transition at the spin glass temperature. For the first time we find a divergence in the linear susceptibility in these samples similar to that expected for the non-linear susceptibility and attribute it to their proximity to the FM phase. Dramatic changes in the transition temperatures and a perceptible shift in x_c are observed when normal boron is replaced by enriched boron (≈100%¹¹B) in one series of alloys.     

Magneto-volume effect in invar-type amorphous Fe—B alloys

Amorphous Fe_100-xB_x(11.5 ≦ x ≦ 22) alloys having the invar characteristics were prepared by a single roller quenching method to investigate the magneto-volume effect. Forced volume magnetostriction, ?ω/?H, increased remarkably with decreasing boron content and the maximum value obtained was about 90 × 10^?10 Oe^?1 at 11.5 at.% boron. The estimated value of the pressure dependence of the Curie temperature, ?T_c/?P, was considerably large, being comparable to those of crystalline FeNi invar alloys. The ?T_c/?P curve plotted as a function of T_c approximately fitted Wohlfarth's expression.     

Crystal structure and valence state of cerium in CePd3−xPtx alloys

Cerium is in a mixed valent state in CePd₃ (AuCu₃ type structure) while it is in a trivalent state in CePt₃ (defect C15 Laves type structure). CePd_3?xPt_x alloys have been prepared and are found to have AuCu₃ type structure for 0 ? x ? 1 and defect Laves type structure for 1.75 < x ? 3.0. From susceptibility measurements on these alloys in the temperature range 77–400 K, it is inferred that cerium is in a mixed valent state in all the AuCu₃ type alloys, but in a trivalent state in all the Laves phase type alloys in CePd_3?xPt_x series.     

Magnetoresistance and the hall effect of the ordered alloys Fe<Subscript>100 −<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Al<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> (25 < <Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis> < 35 at. %)

The transverse magnetoresistance and the Hall effect of Fe_{100 ?x} Al _x ordered alloys with x = 26.5?34.1 at. % are studied at temperatures of 77 and 295 K. No saturation is found in the field dependences up to 17 kOe. The magnetoresistance is negative, depends nonmonotonically on the Al concentration, and reaches a maximum |ΔR/R| = 1.6% in the concentration range from 28 to 30 at. %. The coefficient of the anomalous Hall effect depends nonlinearly on the Al concentration and resistivity: it increases to a lesser extent as compared to the resistivity at x = 26–30 at. % and decreases with increasing resistivity at x > 30 at. %. An explanation is proposed for the observed anomalies in the magnetotransport properties in the framework of the model developed for the inhomogeneous magnetic microstructure of the Fe_{100 ?x} Al _x ordered alloys.     

Saturation and forced volume magnetostriction of Fe-rich FeZr amorphous alloys

AC susceptibility, saturation and forced volume magnetostriction were studied on iron-rich zirconium amorphous alloys a-Fe_100-xZr_x (8 at% ≤ x ≤ 12 at%). The experimental results are discussed in relation to the re-entrant spin glass state. It is found that the transverse magnetostriction accompanies a remarkable magnetic aftereffect in the spin glass phase, and that the forced volume magnetostriction shows an apparent peak at the ferromagnet to spin glass transition where the ac susceptibility has a cusp.     

Magnetic properties of some ternary nickel solid solutions

We present the results of the magnetic measurements on Ni_0.7Cu_0.3-xSi_x (0 ? x ? 0.08) alloys between 4.2 and 800 K. The saturation magnetization and the Curie temperatures are linearly dependent on the mean electronic concentration of the diamagnetic matrix. The effective nickel moments vary only little in the considered concentration range. The ratio between the number of magnetic carriers determined from the Curie constant and the saturation data increases as the Curie temperatures decrease. The magnetic behaviour of nickel in these solid solutions is discussed.     

Microstructure and some magnetic properties of bulk amorphous (Fe0.61Co0.10Zr0.025Hf0.025Ti0.02W0.02B0.20)100−xYx (x=0, 2, 3 or 4) alloys

Microstructure, revealed by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and Mössbauer spectroscopy, and magnetic properties such as magnetic susceptibility, its disaccommodation, core losses and approach to magnetic saturation in bulk amorphous (Fe_0.61Co_0.10Zr_0.025Hf_0.025Ti_0.02W_0.02B_0.20)_100−xY_x (x=0, 2, 3 or 4) alloys in the as-cast state and after the annealing in vacuum at 720 K for 15 min. are studied. The investigated alloys are ferromagnetic at room temperature. The average hyperfine field induction decreases with Y concentration. Due to annealing out of free volumes its value increases after the heat treatment of the samples. The magnetic susceptibility and core losses point out that the best thermal stability by the amorphous (Fe_0.61Co_0.10Zr_0.025Hf_0.025Ti_0.02W_0.02B_0.20)₉₇Y₃ alloy is exhibited. Moreover, from Mössbauer spectroscopy investigations it is shown that the mentioned above alloy is the most homogeneous. The atom packing density increases with Y concentration, which is proved by the magnetic susceptibility disaccommodation and approach to magnetic saturation studies.     

Magnetic and electrical properties of amorphous PdCoP alloys

Magnetic susceptibility and electrical resistivity measurements were performed (Pd_100?xCo_x)₈₀P₂₀ alloys where 15 < x < 50. The magnetic properties show that these alloys undergo a ferromagnetic transition between 272 and 399 K as the cobalt concentration increases from 15 to 50 atomic %. Below 20 atomic % Co the short-range exchange interactions which produce the ferromagnetism are unable to establish a long-range magnetic order and a peak in the magnetization shows up at the lowest temperature range under an applied field of 6.0 kOe. The electrical resistivity of these alloys has been measured from 4.2 K up to the vinicity of the melting point (900 K). The electrical resistivity data could be interpreted by the coexistence fo a Kondo-like minimum and ferromagnetism. The minimum becomes less important as the transition metal concentration increases. The coefficients of In T and T² become smaller and concentration dependent. The spin ordering in such alloys can be simulated as either the ordering due to an applied “external field” or as an increase in “internal fields”. These are due to an increase in transition metal concentration. The negative magnetoresistivity is a strong indication of the existence of localized moment.     

Crystallization and magnetic properties of melt-spun neodymium-iron alloys

The magnetic and crystallization properties of melt-spun Nd_1?xFe_x alloys are reported. By using high purity constituents and an extremely fine orifice (100–150 μm), amorphous alloys were prepared over the interval 0.4 ? x ? 0.8. Their magnetic properties, taken between 20–850 K in fields up to 95 kOe, are interpreted on the basis of a sperimagnetic structure; at high field the alloys from collinear ferromagnetic structures. Room temperature coercivities of the amorphous alloys are relatively low (1.5–2.0 kOe) but increase substantially at reduced temperatures; at 20 K, a maximum coercivity of 52 kOe was found for a Nd_0.4Fe_0.6 alloy. X-ray diffraction indicates that the melt-spun alloys crystallize by the precipitation of Nd metal and an unidentified Nd-Fe phase. Changes in magnetization and coercivity during crystallization are reported.     

Magnetic phase transitions in the Fe1−xMnxSn2 alloys for 0≤x≤1.0: A Mössbauer and magnetization study

⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer study of the pseudo-Binary alloys Fe_1?xMn_xSn₂ for 0≤x≤1.0 reveal the antiferromagnetically ordered state at 79K for all the specimens of the series. The hyperfine field at Fe site decreases with increasing manganese concentration. Magnetic susceptibility measurements performed in the temperature range 80 K≤T≤300 K indicate that the Néel temperature decreases with increasing Mn concentration for the samples withx≤0.4 whereas it increases continuously for the specimens havingx>0.4 of the alloy series.     

High-temperature ferromagnetism in Si1 ? x Mn x (x ≈ 0.5) nonstoichiometric alloys

It has been found that the Curie temperature (T _C ?? 300 K) in nonstoichiometric Si_{1 ? x} Mn _x alloys slightly enriched in Mn (x ?? 0.52?C0.55) in comparison to the stoichiometric manganese monosilicide MnSi becomes about an order of magnitude higher than that in MnSi (T _C ?? 30 K). Deviations from stoichiometry lead to a drastic decrease in the density of charge carries (holes), whereas their mobility at about 100 K becomes an order of magnitude higher than the value characteristic of MnSi. The high-temperature ferromagnetism is ascribed to the formation of defects with the localized magnetic moments and by their indirect exchange interaction mediated by the paramagnetic fluctuations of the hole spin density. The existence of defects with the localized magnetic moments in Si_{1 ? x} Mn _x alloys with x ?? 0.52?C0.55 is supported by the results of numerical calculations performed within the framework of the local-density-functional approximation. The increase in the hole mobility in the nonstoichiometric material is attributed to the decay of the Kondo (or spin-polaron) resonances presumably existing in MnSi.     

Magnetic properties and hydrostatic pressure effect on the curie temperature of (Co,Mn)2B amorphous alloys

The temperature dependence of magnetization and magnetic susceptibility and hydrostatic pressure effect on the Surie temperature (dT_c/dP) are measured for (Co_1-xMn_x)₂B (0?x?0.4) amorphous alloys and the results are compared with those of crystalline compounds with the same composition. The Curie temperature decreases linearly with an increasing Mn content but magnetization shows a maximum around x=0.15. The reciprocal magnetic susceptibility of all the prepared alloys obeys the Curie-Weiss law above T_c. The magnitude of the negative value of dT_c/dP decreases linearly with increasing x from about 1.1 K/kbar (x=0) to zero (x=0.4), the composition dependence of which is opposite to that of the crystalline compound. The composition dependence of the average magnetic moment per transition metal atom and the Curie temperature and dT_c/dP are analysed on the basis of the local environment and the pair order interaction mode, respectively.     

Magnetic properties of metastable Gd-Cr alloys

We report on the magnetization, magnetocaloric effect, magnetic ordering temperatures, saturation magnetic moments and anisotropy of sputter-deposited Gd_xCr_1−x alloys with Gd atomic concentrations, x, ranging from 0.13 to 0.52. The complex magnetic nature of the Gd-Cr films was revealed from the M×H isotherms, which do not show saturation even at an applied field of 70 kOe and a temperature of 2 K and do not exhibit a linear behavior at higher temperatures. For some of the samples, the isotherms were used to determine the isothermal entropy variation as a function of temperature, for a change of 50 kOe in the applied magnetic field. The saturation magnetic moment varies with x and follows the dilution law, implying that the Cr atoms do not contribute to the total moment of the Gd-Cr alloys. Both static magnetization and dynamic susceptibility measurements reveal the existence of a magnetic glassy behavior in the alloys, which occurs below a freezing temperature. The existence of anisotropy at low temperatures for all samples was revealed by their M×H hysteresis loops from which the in-plane coercive fields, H_c, were determined. A monotonical increase in H_c with increasing Gd concentration was observed.