Magnetization distribution associated with non-transition metal impurities in iron

Abstract

The spatial distribution of the magnetic moment disturbance associated with six non-transition element impurities (Al, Ga, Si, Ge, Sn, Sb) in ferromagnetic iron has been measured using the neutron diffuse-scattering technique. Of these solutes Al produces the least perturbation at neighbouring iron atoms and creates a defect which comes close to being a simple magnetic vacancy. The other five impurities also give rise to effects which approach this description. However, small disturbances extending some ångströms into the iron host are present in all cases. The magnetic moments on iron atoms situated about 4 or 5 Å from the impurity always exceed the moment on pure iron by amounts of the order of a per cent. The magnetic disturbances are observable only by virtue of the large number of iron atoms affected.