Influence of interface on structure and magnetic properties of Fe50B50 nanoglass.

In contrast to rapidly quenched metallic glasses, nanoglasses consist of two components, namely amorphous nanograins and interfacial regions with distinctively different properties. Various physical methods have been employed to obtain information on the atomistic and magnetic properties of such materials. For the case of a Fe50B50 nanoglass, using high-energy X-ray diffraction, it was found that the short-range order of the nanograins is similar to that of a crystalline FeB alloy. Magnetic Compton scattering shows that the total magnetic moment is the sum of the magnetic moment of the nanograins and the weak magnetic moment of the interfacial regions (μInterface=+0.08 μB). The measured moment of boron agrees (μBoron=+0.08 μB) with linear Muffin-Tin calculations. From the results of Mössbauer and magnetic Compton scattering, it can be concluded that the boron atoms segregate in the interfacial regions, resulting in a reduced boron concentration in the nanograins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]