Ferromagnetic domain structure of metallic glasses

Abstract

We have applied the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique of Fathers et al. to a study of domain structure in metallic glasses of the form TM0.75P0.16X0.06Al0.03, where TM denotes Fe, Co, Ni, or an alloy of these and X denotes either B, C, or Si. The domain structure is dominated by the presence of a spatially nonuniform uniaxial anisotropy which is related to the flow processes induced by quenching the molten alloy. The existence of both a magnetostrictive and a directional ordering source of anisotropy is indicated.