title: Combinatorial Development of Fe-Co-Nb Thin Film Magnetic Nanocomposites.
abstract: A Fe-Co-Nb thin film materials library was deposited by combinatorial magnetron sputtering and investigated by high-throughput methods to identify new noncubic ferromagnetic phases, indicating that combinatorial experimentation is an efficient method to discover new ferromagnetic phases adequate for permanent magnet applications. Structural analysis indicated the formation of a new magnetic ternary compound (Fe,Co)3Nb with a hexagonal crystal structure (C36) embedded in an FeCo-based matrix. This nanocomposite exhibits characteristics of a two-phase ferromagnetic system, the so-called hard-soft nanocomposites, indicating that the new phase (Fe,Co)3Nb is ferromagnetic. Magnetic hysteresis loops at various angles revealed that the magnetization reversal process is governed by a domain wall pinning mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Ruhr-University Bochum , Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Institute for Materials, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Vasileios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Alexandrakis
authors.affiliation: Institute of Solid State Physics, Vienna University of Technology , Wiedner Hauptstrasse 8-10, 1040 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wallisch
authors.affiliation: Ruhr-University Bochum , Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Institute for Materials, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hamann
authors.affiliation: ISM-CNR Area della Ricerca Roma1 , Via Salaria km 29.300, C.P. 10, 00016 Monterotondo Scalo (RM), Italy.
authors.forename: Gaspare
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Varvaro
authors.affiliation: Institute of Solid State Physics, Vienna University of Technology , Wiedner Hauptstrasse 8-10, 1040 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fidler
authors.affiliation: Ruhr-University Bochum , Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Institute for Materials, 44801 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: Alfred
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ludwig
mesh_terms: D003035:Cobalt / Q000737:chemistry*; D020650:Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry*; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009556:Niobium / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D009556:Niobium; D003035:Cobalt; D007501:Iron
keywords: combinatorial magnetron sputtering; noncubic ferromagnetic phases; thin film materials