Mössbauer study of Zn effect on BCC iron in metastable Fe−Zn alloys

In metastable sputtered Fe_1?y Zn _y alloys, the bcc Fe-rich α phase, alone or mixed with another phase, was found in the concentration range 0<y<0.6. This Fe_1?x Zn _x bcc phase can contain substituted Zn atoms up tox=0.43. Analysis of Mössbauer spectra by a binomial distribution law, taking into account the first and second neighbours, is consistent with an homogeneous distribution of Zn in this phase. The correlations between hyperfine parameters have been determined as a function ofx. The deduced local hyperfine coupling constants are equal to 922 kOe/s-el and to 1435 kOe/s-el for a Zn atom located respectively at the first or second neighbour shell.