PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Understanding the origin of magnetic moment enhancement in novel alloys

Scientists reveal the mechanisms behind the enhanced magnetic properties of a new machine-learning-identified iridium-doped iron-cobalt alloy

Understanding the origin of magnetic moment enhancement in novel alloys
2025-03-14
(Press-News.org)

Magnetic materials have become indispensable to various technologies that support our modern society, such as data storage devices, electric motors, and magnetic sensors. High-magnetization ferromagnets are especially important for the development of next-generation spintronics, sensors, and high-density data storage technologies. Among these materials, the iron-cobalt (Fe-Co) alloy is widely used due to its strong magnetic properties. However, there is a limit to how much their performance can be improved, necessitating a new approach.

Some of the earlier studies have shown that epitaxially grown films made up of Fe-Co alloys doped with heavier elements exhibit remarkably high magnetization. Moreover, recent advances in computational techniques, such as the integration of machine learning with ab initio calculations, have significantly accelerated the search for new material compositions. Iridium (Ir)-doped Fe-Co alloy (Fe-Co-Ir) is one such material, identified through machine learning, that has been shown to possess large magnetic moments, representing the strength and orientation of magnetic fields, exceeding even those of conventional Fe-Co alloys. However, identifying the source of these enhanced magnetic properties has been a significant challenge. In particular, the effect of Ir-doping on the magnetic properties of Fe-Co alloys remains poorly understood.

To overcome this challenge, a research team led by Assistant Professor Takahiro Yamazaki from the Department of Material Science and Technology at Tokyo University of Science (TUS) implemented a novel approach. They utilized high-throughput X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) on compositionally graded single-crystal thin films. Asst. Prof. Yamazaki explains, “Unlike previous studies which used polycrystalline thin films, we utilized compositionally graded single-crystal Fe-Co-Ir thin films, offering a more controlled environment for probing the mechanisms behind their enhanced magnetic properties. Furthermore, using the world's largest synchrotron radiation facility, SPring-8, we performed XMCD measurements to systematically investigate their magnetic properties.”

The team also included Mr. Takahiro Kawasaki and Prof. Masato Kotsugi from TUS, Dr. Yuma Iwasaki and Dr. Yuya Sakuraba of the National Institute of Materials Science (NIMS), Dr. Naomi Kawamura of the Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, and Prof. Takuo Ohkochi of the University of Hyogo. Their study was published in the journal Physical Review Materials on March 12, 2025.

Using the advanced technology at NIMS, the team first fabricated compositionally graded thin films in which the amount of Ir doping increased linearly from one end, consisting of pure Fe-Co alloy, to the other end consisting of Fe-Co alloy with 11 at% Ir. The team then performed X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) measurements on these films, using both soft and hard X-rays. Soft X-rays have lower energy than hard X-rays and are therefore better suited for studying lighter metals like Fe and Co, while hard X-rays are more suitable for studying heavy metals like Ir. This approach provided a more detailed understanding of each element’s contribution to the material’s magnetic behavior.

The results revealed significant improvements in the magnetic moments of both Fe and Ir due to Ir doping. The magnetic moment of Fe increased by 1.44-fold and Ir by 1.54-fold at 11 at% Ir concentration compared to that at 1 at% Ir concentration. To further validate and understand the origin of these enhancements, the team conducted ab initio calculations. Fe and Co belong to a class of elements known as 3d transition metals, where their outermost electrons occupy the 3d atomic orbitals, while Ir belongs to 5d transition metals.

The theoretical analysis supported the experimental findings and revealed that Ir addition leads to increased electron localization and stronger spin-orbit coupling between 3d electrons of Fe and Co and 5d electrons of Ir. This interaction results in enhanced magnetic moments, primarily through increased contributions of orbital magnetic moments.

“The findings highlight the critical role of Ir in enhancing the magnetic properties of Fe-Co-Ir alloys,” notes Asst. Prof. Yamazaki. “Our efficient, high-throughput materials evaluation workflow and theoretical analysis method will serve as a foundation for designing high-performance ferromagnetic materials. This could lead to the development of highly efficient electric motors and next-generation high-density data storage devices, which could ultimately reduce environmental impact and contribute to a more sustainable society,” he concludes.

Also, Fe-Co alloy with Ir could help in designing efficient electronic devices that can be made commercially available, with essential testing phases. This alloy has potential implementation in developing cost-effective data storage devices.

 

***

 

Reference                     
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevMaterials.9.034408

 

 

About The Tokyo University of Science
Tokyo University of Science (TUS) is a well-known and respected university, and the largest science-specialized private research university in Japan, with four campuses in central Tokyo and its suburbs and in Hokkaido. Established in 1881, the university has continually contributed to Japan's development in science through inculcating the love for science in researchers, technicians, and educators.

With a mission of “Creating science and technology for the harmonious development of nature, human beings, and society," TUS has undertaken a wide range of research from basic to applied science. TUS has embraced a multidisciplinary approach to research and undertaken intensive study in some of today's most vital fields. TUS is a meritocracy where the best in science is recognized and nurtured. It is the only private university in Japan that has produced a Nobel Prize winner and the only private university in Asia to produce Nobel Prize winners within the natural sciences field.

Website: https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/mediarelations/

 

About Assistant Professor Takahiro Yamazaki from Tokyo University of Science
Takahiro Yamazaki is currently working as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Material Science and Technology at Tokyo University of Science. He specializes in magnetic analysis using machine learning and synchrotron radiation. In 2019, he received his Doctorate in Engineering from Yokohama National University. His research focused on magnetic functional materials, analysis using magnetic Barkhausen noise, nano multi-phase materials, and radiation analysis. Before joining Tokyo University of Science, he worked as a JSPS Postdoctoral researcher at Nagoya University, Japan, and the University of Maryland, US. He developed a measurement method combining his magnetic analysis technique, combinatorial thin-film synthesis, and machine learning algorithm. He has refereed over 35 research articles and has presented over 77 articles at various conferences.

 

Funding information
The XMCD experiments at BL25SU and BL39XU 482 were carried out under the approval of SPring-8 (Proposals: 2024B1266, 2023B1421, 2023A1008, 2023A1179, 2022B1113, 2022B1004, 2022A1407, 2022A1027). Also, this study was supported in part by JST-CREST (Grant No. JPMJCR21O1) and JST-ACT-X (Grant No. JPMJAX22AL), and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, JSPS KAKENHI (Grants No. 23K13636, No. 22K14590, No. 22K14590, and No. 21H04656).

END


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Understanding the origin of magnetic moment enhancement in novel alloys

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

BU researchers develop computational tools to safeguard privacy without degrading voice-based cognitive markers

2025-03-14
(Boston)—Digital voice recordings contain valuable information that can indicate an individual’s cognitive health, offering a non-invasive and efficient method for assessment. Research has demonstrated that digital voice measures can detect early signs of cognitive decline by analyzing features such as speech rate, articulation, pitch variation and pauses, which may signal cognitive impairment when deviating from normative patterns.   However, voice data introduces privacy challenges due to the personally identifiable information embedded in recordings, ...

Breakthrough in rapid polymer nanostructure production

2025-03-14
Researchers at the University of Birmingham have developed a new method for the rapid scalable preparation of uniform nanostructures directly from block polymers.   This novel approach, led by the Dove and O'Reilly groups, significantly reduces processing time from a week to just minutes, enabling high-throughput production of precision polymer nanomaterials.  Publishing their findings today (14 Mar) in Nature Chemistry, the teams outline a rapid seed preparation technique that supersaturates polymer solutions in a flow system.  The process facilitates uniform seed micelle formation and allows ...

Artificial photosynthesis: Researchers mimic plants

Artificial photosynthesis: Researchers mimic plants
2025-03-14
Photosynthesis is a marvellous process: plants use it to produce sugar molecules and oxygen from the simple starting materials carbon dioxide and water. They draw the energy they need for this complex process from sunlight. If humans could imitate photosynthesis, it would have many advantages. The free energy from the sun could be used to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it to build carbohydrates and other useful substances. It would also be possible to produce hydrogen, as photosynthesis splits water into its components oxygen and hydrogen. Photosynthesis: a Complex Process ...

Social disadvantage can accelerate ageing and increase disease risk

2025-03-14
People with favourable socioeconomic conditions, such as high incomes or education levels, face a reduced risk of age-related diseases and show fewer signs of biological ageing than peers of the same age, finds a new study led by University College London (UCL) researchers. Social inequalities appear to have a direct impact on the biological ageing process, according to the authors of the Nature Medicine paper. The scientists found that people with more social advantages had fewer proteins in their blood that are linked to the ...

Breaking free from dependence on rare resources! A domestic high-performance permanent magnet emerges!

Breaking free from dependence on rare resources! A domestic high-performance permanent magnet emerges!
2025-03-14
The Nano Materials Research Division at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), led by Dr. Tae-Hoon Kim and Dr. Jung-Goo Lee, has successfully developed a groundbreaking grain boundary diffusion process that enables the fabrication of high-performance permanent magnets without the use of expensive heavy rare earth elements. This pioneering technology, marks the world’s first achievement in this field. Permanent magnets are key components in various high-value-added products, including electric vehicle (EV) motors and robots. However, conventional permanent magnet manufacturing processes have been heavily dependent on ...

Symptoms of long-COVID can last up to two years after infection with COVID-19

2025-03-14
23% of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 between 2021 and 2023 developed long-COVID, and in more than half of them the symptoms persisted for two years. These are the main conclusions of a study conducted by ISGlobal, a centre supported by the ”la Caixa” Foundation, and in collaboration with the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), as part of the European END-VOC project. The risk of developing long-COVID depends on several factors, according to the results published in BMC Medicine. After overcoming an initial ...

Violence is forcing women in Northern Ireland into homelessness, finds new report

Violence is forcing women in Northern Ireland into homelessness, finds new report
2025-03-14
Violence is trapping women across Northern Ireland in cycles of trauma and homelessness, with some facing further abuse in temporary accommodation, despite moving there to find a place of safety. The research from Heriot-Watt University and University of Edinburgh was commissioned by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland and funded by the Oak Foundation. It is based on in-depth interviews with women with lived experience of violence over five areas of Northern Ireland. The areas include Belfast and Derry, one smaller urban area in County Down, and two more rural areas of County Antrim and County Fermanagh. The report also covers findings from focus groups with frontline workers ...

Latin American intensivists denounce economic and cultural inequities in the global scientific publishing system

2025-03-13
Researchers from Brazilian, Argentine, and Uruguayan institutions analyze the barriers that low- and middle-income countries face in disseminating research on intensive care medicine, particularly in the treatment of critically ill patients. Published this month in The Lancet, the study highlights how historical and economic biases perpetuate inequalities and suggests changes to make the scientific publishing system more inclusive and representative of the global community. Low- and middle-income countries are home to 85% of the world's population and bear a disproportionate burden of critical illnesses. ...

Older adults might be more resistant to bird flu infections than children, Penn research finds

Older adults might be more resistant to bird flu infections than children, Penn research finds
2025-03-13
PHILADELPHIA— Prior exposures to specific types of seasonal influenza viruses promote cross-reactive immunity against the H5N1 avian influenza virus, according to new research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Older adults who were exposed to seasonal flu viruses that circulated prior to 1968 were found to be more likely to have antibodies that bind to the H5N1 avian flu virus. The findings, published today in Nature Medicine¸ suggest that younger adults and children would benefit more from H5N1 vaccines, even those not tailored specifically to the current strain circulating in birds and ...

Dramatic increase in research funding needed to counter productivity slowdown in farming

2025-03-13
ITHACA, N.Y. – Climate change and flagging investment in research and development has U.S. agriculture facing its first productivity slowdown in decades. A new study estimates the public sector investment needed to reverse course. In the paper, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers model both the dampening effects of climate change on U.S. agriculture and the accelerating effects of publicly funded research and development (R&D) – and use the estimates to quantify the investment in research required to maintain agricultural productivity through 2050. They find that a 5% to 8% per year growth in research investment ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

CeSPIACE: A broad-spectrum peptide inhibitor against variable SARS-CoV-2 spikes

Understanding the origin of magnetic moment enhancement in novel alloys

BU researchers develop computational tools to safeguard privacy without degrading voice-based cognitive markers

Breakthrough in rapid polymer nanostructure production

Artificial photosynthesis: Researchers mimic plants

Social disadvantage can accelerate ageing and increase disease risk

Breaking free from dependence on rare resources! A domestic high-performance permanent magnet emerges!

Symptoms of long-COVID can last up to two years after infection with COVID-19

Violence is forcing women in Northern Ireland into homelessness, finds new report

Latin American intensivists denounce economic and cultural inequities in the global scientific publishing system

Older adults might be more resistant to bird flu infections than children, Penn research finds

Dramatic increase in research funding needed to counter productivity slowdown in farming

How chemistry and force etch mysterious spiral patterns on solid surfaces

Unraveling the mysteries of polycystic kidney disease

Mother’s high-fat diet can cause liver stress in fetus, study shows

Weighing in on a Mars water debate

Researchers ‘seq’ and find a way to make pig retinal cells to advance eye treatments

Re-purposed FDA-approved drug could help treat high-grade glioma

Understanding gamma rays in our universe through StarBurst

Study highlights noninvasive hearing aid 

NASA taps UTA to shape future of autonomous aviation

Mutations disrupt touch-based learning, study finds

Misha lived in zoos, but the elephant’s tooth enamel helps reconstruct wildlife migrations

Eat better, breathe easier? Research points to link between diet, lung cancer

Mesozoic mammals had uniform dark fur

Wartime destruction of Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine has long-term environmental consequences

NIH’s flat 15% funding policy is misguided and damaging

AI reveals new insights into the flow of Antarctic ice

Scientists solve decades-long Parkinson’s mystery

Spinning, twisted light could power next-generation electronics

[Press-News.org] Understanding the origin of magnetic moment enhancement in novel alloys
Scientists reveal the mechanisms behind the enhanced magnetic properties of a new machine-learning-identified iridium-doped iron-cobalt alloy