Thermal Stability and Kinetics of Binary Cu65Hf35 Bulk Metallic Glass

We investigate the thermal stability and kinetics of Cu65Hf35 bulk metallic glass （BMG）. Cu65Hf35 glassy rods in diameter up to 2 mm are prepared by a conventional copper mould suction casting. Kinetics of glass transition and crystallizations are investigated and the ideal glass transition temperature of the alloy is obtained. It is found that the dependence of crystallization temperature of the BMG on the heating rates follows the Vogel-Fhlcher- Tammann （VFT） non-linear relationship rather than the Kissinger and Lasocka linear fittings. The long-term thermal stability of the BMG is investigated by means of continuous crystallization diagrams obtained from the extension of VFT analysis. It is suggested that ideal glass transition and crystallization temperatures can also be regarded as the long-term stability criteria of the BMG.

Exchange Coupling and Stability of SmCo7-xHfx

Electronic structure of SmCo7-xHfx compound is calculated by using the multi-scattering Xα method. It is shown that a few of electrons can transfer to the Sm 5d orbital due to orbital hybridization between Sm and Co atoms. The 3d-5d coupling is stronger, which is the main reason to result in the long-range ferromagnetic order between Sm and Co atoms in SmCo7-xHfx. According to the Stoner criterion, the result of spin-unpolarized calculation for the Sm5Co32Hf2 duster could lead to a better understanding of why the ferromagnetic SmCo7-xHfx is a stable phase. For the Sm5Co32Hf2 duster the Fermi level is situated at the overall maximum of the density of states. Moreover the duster wavefunctions at EF are antibonding and hence highly localized in real space, which would lead to a large value for the duster Stoner integral. Thus a rationalization for the magnetic stability of SmCo7-xHfx has been obtained.

Reduction of Ordering Temperature of FePt-Al2O3 Thin Films by N2 Addition During Sputtering

We investigate the effect of N2 addition during sputtering on the microstructure and magnetic properties of FePt-Al2O3 thin films. The texture of FePt phase in FePt-Al2O3 thin films changes from （111） to a more random orientation by N2 addition during sputtering. The ordering temperature of FePt phase reduces about 100℃ with appropriate N2 partial pressure. A larger coercivity of 6.0 × 10^5 Aim is obtained with N2 partial pressure about 15%. Structural analysis reveals that a small quantity of Fe3N phase forms during sputtering and the release of N atoms during the post annealing induces a large number of vacancies in the films, which benefits to the transformation of FePt phase from fcc to fct.

First-Principles Study of Electronic Structure of the Laves Phase ZrFe2

We perform the ab initio calculation for obtaining the density of states and magnetic properties of ZrFe2 Laves phase compound based on the method of augmented plane waves plus local orbital The results indicate that the ferromagnetic state is more stable than the paramagnetic one, but with a slightly larger volume. The 3d - 4d exchange interactions between Fe and Zr electrons lead to the antiparallel coupling for Fe 3d and Zr 4d states, which is responsible for the ferrimagnetic ordering of the compound. The resulting magnetic moment of about 1.98μB for Fe is spatially localized near the Fe site, while around Zr a small but extended negative spin states causes a moment of about -0.44 μB. Moreover, the resulting magnetic moments with the generalized gradient approximation are more consistent with experimental values than that of the local-spin density approximation.

Room-Temperature Ferromagnetism in Zn1-xMnxO Thin Films Deposited by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Zn1-xMnxO （x = O.Olq3.1） thin films with a Curie temperature above 300K are deposited on Al2O3 （0001） substrates by pulsed laser deposition. X-ray diffraction （XRD）, ultraviolet （UV）-visible transmission and Raman spectroscopy are employed to characterize the microstructural properties of these films. Room temperature ferromagnetism is observed by superconducting quantum interference device （SQUID）. The results indicate that Mn doping introduces the incorporation of Mn^2＋ ions into the ZnO host matrix and the insertion of Mn^2＋ ions increases the lattice defects, which is correlated with the ferromagnetism of the obtained films. The doping concentration is also proven to be a crucial factor for obtaining highly ferromagnetic Zn1-xMnxO films.