Department of Physics and Astronomy: Publications and Other Research
Date of this Version
June 1989
Abstract
This research is focused on the synthesis of new iron-rare-earth magnetic phases which may have significant technological properties. An important aim is to investigate new methods for producing these materials such as melt spinning and sputtering plus specific heat treatments. Studies are made of the relationship between microstructure and properties such as coercivity, spontaneous magnetization, and anisotropy (magnitude and direction) in bulk and thin film samples. Our goal is to understand these relatively complex materials on the basis of fundamental electronic structure, theory is of itinerant magnetism and localized 4f electronic states, and the microstructural effects which control the extrinsic properties. To achieve this a broad range of experiments and calculations are performed.