Structural and magnetic properties in Fe<i>x</i>Si1−<i>x</i> amorphous alloys

Abstract

FexSi1−x amorphous alloys were obtained by the vapor quenching technique. Magnetization measurements and Mössbauer spectroscopy data showed there is a critical composition (xc=0.4) for the appearance of magnetic order which starts with the formation of giant moments; then, an increasing homogeneous behaviour is initiated by percolation of these giant moments. Diffraction studies gave evidences that the magnetic transformation occurs without major structural changes. As a first approximation, Si and Fe atoms can be considered as randomly distributed in a dense random packing of hard spheres.