Magnetic phases of amorphous transition metal-metalloid alloys

Hysteresis loop and ac susceptibility measurements were performed on three series of amorphous alloys: (A_wB_1-w)₇₅P₁₆B₆Al₃, where (A, B) are (Fe, Ni), (Co, Ni) and (Fe, Mn). Upon cooling, low w alloys undergo paramagne t to spin glass transitions. Alloys with higher w first experience a Curie transition to a ferromagnetic state, and then a spin freezing transition to a spin glass state. the T dependence of the width of the ac hysteresis loop is used to determine the spin freezing transition temperature. A magnetic phase diagram is presented for each alloy series and the value of w required for ferromagnetism, w_C, is determined. When measured in the presence of small constant fields, the ac susceptibility of alloys with w just above w_C has maxima near both transition temperatures. The field and temperature dependences of the peaks are explained by scaling arguments, used to determine the critical exponent δ for the Curie transition, and suggest that a similar scaling law holds for the ferromagnet to spin glass transition.