Understanding the magnetic anisotropy in Fe-Si amorphous alloys
The origin of the magnetic anisotropy in a very disordered Fe-Si alloy has been investigated. The alloy containing 40 percent at. Si was prepared in the form of a thin film in a DC magnetron sputtering chamber. Structural disorder was obtained from Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure spectroscopy. The uniformity and lack of inhomogeneities at a microscopic level was checked by measuring their transverse magnetic susceptibility and hysteresis loops. The orbital component of the magnetic moment was measured by X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism spectroscopy. The orbital moment was extraordinary high, 0.4mB. Such a high value contrasted with the relatively small uniaxial anisotropy energy of the thin film (2kJ/m3). This suggests that the cause of the magnetic anisotropy in this alloy was a small degree of correlation in the orientation of the local orbital moments along a preferential direction.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Director. Office of Science; Spanish CICYT under Grant Nos. MAT99-0724 and HF/1999-041. (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- OSTI ID:
- 820783
- Report Number(s):
- LBNL-50856; R&D Project: A580SS; TRN: US0400402
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 1 Aug 2002
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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