Giant magnetocaloric effect in nanostructured Fe-Co-P amorphous alloys enabled through pulse electrodeposition

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Amorphous alloys are crucial for soft magnetic applications.
• Iron-based amorphous alloys are widely studied for magnetic properties.
• Developing advanced materials for magnetic refrigeration is an ongoing challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize nanostructured amorphous Fe-Co-P films using electrodeposition.
• To investigate the soft magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of these alloys.
• To understand the role of nanostructure in enhancing material performance.

Main Methods:

• Electrodeposition technique, specifically pulse electrodeposition, for film synthesis.
• Characterization of microstructure to confirm amorphous nature and grain size.
• Measurement of magnetic properties, including coercive field and magnetization.
• Evaluation of magnetocaloric effect (MCE) through temperature-dependent magnetization.

Main Results:

• Dense microstructures with amorphous grains and nano-sized grains were achieved.
• Fe-Co-P amorphous alloys demonstrated superior soft magnetic properties, with a coercive field as low as 1.6 Oe.
• Significant magnetocaloric effect (MCE) was observed, with magnetic entropy changes up to 1.846 J kg-1 K-1.
• High refrigerant capacity of 118.64 J kg-1 was achieved over a 90 K temperature span.

Conclusions:

• Pulse electrodeposition is effective for creating nanostructured amorphous Fe-Co-P alloys.
• The nanostructure significantly enhances both soft magnetic and magnetocaloric properties.
• These Fe-Co-P amorphous alloys show great potential for magnetic cooling technologies.