Magnetic microstructure of nanocrystalline Fe-Nb-B alloys as seen by small-angle neutron and x-ray scattering

Fe-Nb-B alloys; Magnetic microstructures; Magnetic scattering; Micromagnetics; Nanocrystallines; Scattering data; Scattering theory; Small angle neutron; Small angle X-ray scattering; Small-angle neutron scattering; Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials; Condensed Matter Physics

Abstract :

[en] We have investigated the magnetic microstructure of two-phase Fe-Nb-B based Nanoperm alloys using unpolarized small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). Our SANS analysis reveals a significantly large magnetic scattering contribution due to spin misalignment, primarily originating from the substantial jump in the longitudinal magnetization at the interfaces between the particles and the matrix. The magnetic scattering exhibits an angular anisotropy that resembles a clover-leaf-type pattern, consistent with the predictions of micromagnetic SANS theory. Analysis of the one-dimensional SANS data yields values for the exchange-stiffness constant and the average anisotropy and magnetostatic fields. The micromagnetic correlation lengths for all three samples exhibit a similar field variation with sizes ranging between about 10-35nm. We also find that the nuclear and magnetic residual scattering component of the SANS cross section exhibits a similar q dependency as the SAXS data. These findings further validate the applicability of the micromagnetic SANS theory, and the mesoscopic information obtained is important for the advancement of the soft magnetic properties of this class of material.

Disciplines :

Physics

Author, co-author :

RAI, Venus ; University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine (FSTM) > Department of Physics and Materials Science (DPHYMS)

TITOV, Ivan ; University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine > Department of Physics and Materials Science > Team Andreas MICHELS

Adams, Michael P. ; Department of Physics and Materials Science, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Suzuki, Kiyonori ; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Australia

Kohlbrecher, Joachim; Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, Switzerland

MICHELS, Andreas ; University of Luxembourg > Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine (FSTM) > Department of Physics and Materials Science (DPHYMS)

External co-authors :

yes

Language :

English

Title :

Magnetic microstructure of nanocrystalline Fe-Nb-B alloys as seen by small-angle neutron and x-ray scattering

Publication date :

August 2024

Journal title :

Physical Review. B

ISSN :

2469-9950

eISSN :

2469-9969

Publisher :

American Physical Society

Volume :

110

Issue :

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Additional URL :

https://link.aps.org/article/10.1103/PhysRevB.110.054437

Funders :

Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg

Funding text :

The authors acknowledge the Swiss spallation neutron source at the Paul Scherrer Institute for the provision of neutron beam time at the SANS-I instrument. They are also thankful to H. Huang for preparing the ribbon samples. M.P.A. acknowledges financial support from the National Research Fund of Luxembourg (AFR Grant No. 15639149).

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since 13 January 2026

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