Micromagnetic analysis of the hardening mechanisms of nanocrystalline MnBi and nanopatterned FePt intermetallic compounds.

The uniaxial intermetallic compounds of L10-FePt and the low temperature NiAs structure of MnBi are suitable alloys for application as high-density recording materials or as high-coercivity permanent magnets. Single domain particles of these materials are characterized by coercive fields above 1 T over a large temperature range. In particular MnBi shows a coercive field of 2 T at 450 K. Its extraordinary magnetic properties in the temperature range up to 600 K are due to an increase of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy constant from 1.2 MJ m(-3) at 300 K to 2.4 MJ m(-3) at 450 K. In spite of the large coercivities obtained for both type of materials their experimental values deviate considerably from the theoretical values Hc = 2K1/Js valid for a homogeneous rotation process in spherical particles. As is well known these discrepancies are due to the deteriorating effects of the microstructure. For an analysis of the coercive fields the Stoner-Wohlfarth theory has to be expanded with respect to higher anisotropy constants and to microstructural effects such as misaligned grains and grain surfaces with reduced anisotropy constants. It is shown that the temperature dependence and the angular dependence of Hc for FePt as well as MnBi can be quantitatively interpreted by taking into account the above mentioned intrinsic and microstructural effects.

Point-defect interactions in electron-irradiated titanomagnetites--as analysed by magnetic after-effect spectroscopy on annealing within 80 K < Ta < 1200 K.

During high-temperature growing of titanomagnetite single crystals (Fe(2.8-Δ)Ti(0.2)O(4), Δ < 0.005) in oxygen enriched atmospheres, specific Ti(4+)- and vacancy-based defect configurations are induced, giving rise to magnetic after-effect (MAE) spectra with peaks near 450, 200 and 65 K. The atomistic mechanisms of these relaxations are checked by exposing the crystals to low-temperature (80 K) electron (e(-)) irradiation and subsequent analysis of the interactions between radiation-induced and lattice-inherent defects on annealing over the range 80 K ≤ T(a) < or equal 1200 K. Within this interval, three characteristic temperature ranges are distinguished: (a) 80 K < T(a) < 500 K, revealing vigorous interactions between radiation-induced and inherent defect configurations, thus demonstrating their common point-defect nature; (b) 500 K < T(a) < 900 K wherein the MAE spectra re-assume, qualitatively, their initial structure with, however, mutually modified amplitude ratios; (c) 900 K < T(a) < 1200 K, being characterized by the complete annihilation of all MAEs but, interestingly, also the thermally induced re-appearance of vacancies and related defect configurations. The recovery kinetics of all prominent processes are numerically analysed and discussed with respect to their underlying atomistic mechanisms.

High-performance permanent magnets.

High-performance permanent magnets (pms) are based on compounds with outstanding intrinsic magnetic properties as well as on optimized microstructures and alloy compositions. The most powerful pm materials at present are RE-TM intermetallic alloys which derive their exceptional magnetic properties from the favourable combination of rare earth metals (RE = Nd, Pr, Sm) with transition metals (TM = Fe, Co), in particular magnets based on (Nd.Pr)2Fe14B and Sm2(Co,Cu,Fe,Zr)17. Their development during the last 20 years has involved a dramatic improvement in their performance by a factor of > 15 compared with conventional ferrite pms therefore contributing positively to the ever-increasing demand for pms in many (including new) application fields, to the extent that RE-TM pms now account for nearly half of the worldwide market. This review article first gives a brief introduction to the basics of ferromagnetism to confer an insight into the variety of (permanent) magnets, their manufacture and application fields. We then examine the rather complex relationship between the microstructure and the magnetic properties for the two highest-performance and most promising pm materials mentioned. By using numerical micromagnetic simulations on the basis of the Finite Element technique the correlation can be quantitatively predicted, thus providing a powerful tool for the further development of optimized high-performance pms.

A Review of the Magnetic Relaxation and Its Application to the Study of Atomic Defects in α-Iron and Its Diluted Alloys.

This review presents a comprehensive survey on intensive studies performed during the last decades on point defect reactions on α-iron (α-Fe) and its diluted alloys. Our intention is to give an actual account of the knowledge accumulated on this subject, as it has been obtained predominantly by means of the magnetic after-effect (MAE) spectroscopy. After a concise introduction into the theoretical and experimental fundamentals of this technique, the main concern is focused on the presentation and detailed discussion of the MAE spectra arising - after low-temperature electron (e-)- or neutron(n)-irradiation and subsequent annealing - in: (i) high-purity α-Fe and α-Fe doped with (ii) substitutional solutes (like Ni, V, Al, Cu, Ti, Be, Si, Mn, …) or (iii) interstitial solutes (like O, H, C, N). During the course of systematic annealing treatments, these respective spectra undergo dramatic variations at specific temperatures thereby revealing in great detail the underlying intrinsic reactions of the radiation-induced defects, i.e., reorientation, migration, clustering, dissolution and finally annihilation. In alloyed Fe systems the corresponding reaction sequences are even multiplied due to additional interactions between defects and solute atoms. Most valuable information concerning formation-, dissociation- and binding enthalpies of small, mixed clusters (of the type C i V k , N i V k ; i, k ≥ 1) has been obtained in high-purity α-Fe base material which, after charging with C or N, had been e--irradiated. Concerning the basic recovery mechanisms in α-Fe, two complementary results are obtained from the analysis of the various systems: (i) in high-purity and substitutionally alloyed α-Fe the recovery in Stage-III (200 K) is governed by a three-dimensionally migrating (H M I = 0.56 eV) stable interstitial (dumb-bell); (ii) following the formation and dissociation kinetics of small clusters (C1V k , N1V k ) in interstitially alloyed α-Fe the migration enthalpy of the monovacancy must hold the following relation H M N (0.76 eV) < H M C (0.84 eV) < H M V1. These results are in clear agreement with the so-called two-interstitial model (2IM) in α-Fe - a conclusion being further substantiated by a systematic comparison with the results obtained from nonrelaxational techniques, like i.e. positron annihilation (PA), which by their authors are preferentially interpreted in terms of the one-interstitial model (1IM).