Role of Magnetism in the Formation of a Short-Range Order in Iron-Silicon Alloys

• The formation of a short-range order in soft magnetic Fe-Si alloys depending on the annealing temperature has been investigated theoretically and experimentally. The B2-type short-range order has been observed in samples quenched from temperatures T > T(C) (where T(C) is the Curie temperature) with the content c(Si) close to the boundary of the two-phase region. Annealing at temperatures T < T(C) for the content c(Si) >= 0.08 leads to an increase in the fraction of regions with the D0(3)-type short-range order. The mechanism of the formation of the short-range order in Fe-Si solid solutions has been analyzed by the Monte Carlo simulation with the ab initio calculated interatomic interaction parameters. It has been shown that the energy of the effective Si-Si interaction in bcc iron strongly depends on the magnetic state of the matrix. As a result, the B2-type short-range order is formed at T > T(C) and is fixed at quenching, whereas the D0(3)-type short-range order is equilibrium in the ferromagnetic state. The results reveal the decisive role of magnetism in the formation of the short-range order in Fe-Si alloys and allow the explanation of the observed structural features of the alloys depending on the composition and temperature.

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NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

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Physics

Fysik

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