Magnetic interactions in amorphous Fe–Sc alloys

Abstract Results of 57Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy, AC and DC susceptibility, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and Rutherford-backscattering measurements on the amorphous alloys Fe100−xScx (8⩽x⩽70) give for the first time, convincing evidence for the antiferromagnetic exchange coupling between Fe moments at low Sc concentrations. This antiferromagnetic coupling for 8⩽x 43, the positive magnetic coupling between the Fe moments is across Sc atoms. The ferromagnetic coupling between Fe atoms can be explained by the superexchange. Sc moments couple antiferromagnetically to the Fe nearest neighbors.