Magnetic behavior of rapidly quenched submicron amorphous wires

Abstract

Results on the magnetic behavior of glass-coated amorphous wires with metallic nucleus diameters in the submicron range are reported for the first time. The magnetic behavior of nearly zero magnetostrictive submicron amorphous wires is different from that observed in amorphous microwires with typical dimensions and similar composition. Submicron wires are bistable, whereas typical microwires show an almost anhysteretic loop. Bistability of submicron wires is maintained even in a very thin surface layer, which was shown to display a helical magnetic anisotropy. The origin of this specific behavior is the shape anisotropy which becomes dominant at lower dimensions of the metallic nucleus. The study of submicron amorphous wires opens up the way for new applications of amorphous wires.