Porosity-induced spin disorder in nanocrystalline inert-gas condensed iron

We report magnetization and magnetic neutron scattering measurements on nanocrystalline Fe which was prepared by means of the inert-gas condensation technique. Depending on the compaction pressure applied during the synthesis procedure (0.5–1.8 GPa), the resulting Fe samples contain porosity with volume fractions between about 20–35%. We provide evidence that the spin disorder which is associated with porosity has a strong influence on magnetic properties, and it gives rise to a characteristic clover-leaf–shaped angular anisotropy in the elastic-magnetic-scattering cross-section.