Spin-exchange interaction between transition metals and metalloids in soft-ferromagnetic metallic glasses. (3rd May 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Das, Santanu; Choudhary, Kamal; Chernatynskiy, Aleksandr; Choi Yim, Haein; Bandyopadhyay, Asis K; Mukherjee, Sundeep
• Is Part Of: Journal of physics. Volume 28:Number 21(2016)
• Publication Date: 2016-05-03
• Subjects: metallic glass -- spin-exchange interactions -- magnetic properties -- ab initio molecular dynamics -- charge density; Condensed matter -- Periodicals; Matière condensée -- Périodiques; Vaste stoffen; Vloeistoffen; Natuurkunde; Electronic journals; Computer network resources; 530.4105
• DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/28/21/216003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0953-8984

Abstract

Abstract: High-performance magnetic materials have immense industrial and scientific importance in wide-ranging electronic, electromechanical, and medical device technologies. Metallic glasses with a fully amorphous structure are particularly suited for advanced soft-magnetic applications. However, fundamental scientific understanding is lacking for the spin-exchange interaction between metal and metalloid atoms, which typically constitute a metallic glass. Using an integrated experimental and molecular dynamics approach, we demonstrate the mechanism of electron interaction between transition metals and metalloids. Spin-exchange interactions were investigated for a Fe–Co metallic glass system of composition [(Co1− x Fe x )0.75 B0.2 Si0.05 ]96 Cr4 . The saturation magnetization increased with higher Fe concentration, but the trend significantly deviated from simple rule of mixtures. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulation was used to identify the ferromagnetic/anti-ferromagnetic interaction between the transition metals and metalloids. The overlapping band-structure and density of states represent 'Stoner type' magnetization for the amorphous alloys in contrast to 'Heisenberg type' in crystalline iron. The enhancement of magnetization by increasing iron was attributed to the interaction between Fe 3d and B 2p bands, which was further validated by valence-band study.