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Updated: Jan 8, 2026
12:20
Sputter Growth and Characterization of Metamagnetic B2-ordered FeRh Epilayers
Published on: October 5, 2013
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C16 Phase High Entropy Borides With High Magnetic Anisotropy
Willie B Beeson1, Dhritiman Bhattacharya1, Dinesh Bista1
1Physics Department, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|December 23, 2025
Summary
Researchers discovered new high entropy borides with a C16 structure, offering strong magnetic anisotropy using earth-abundant elements. This breakthrough avoids rare-earth metals for sustainable, high-performance magnetic materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Solid State Physics
- Magnetism
Background:
- High magnetic anisotropy materials are crucial for technology but often rely on unsustainable rare-earth and precious metals.
- The high entropy composition space offers potential for earth-abundant alternatives, but typically yields disordered structures unsuitable for anisotropy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discover novel high entropy materials with high magnetic anisotropy using earth-abundant elements.
- To explore the C16 crystal structure for achieving uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in high entropy alloys.
- To enhance magnetic anisotropy through compositional tuning and exploration of the high entropy space.
Main Methods:
- Combinatorial sputtering was used to explore a wide high entropy composition space.
- Synthesis and characterization of novel quinary borides with the C16 crystal structure.
- Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were employed to support experimental findings and predict anisotropy.
Main Results:
- Discovery of novel quinary borides exhibiting the C16 uniaxial crystal structure and high magnetic anisotropy.
- Successfully switched easy-plane anisotropy to easy-axis anisotropy by mixing Fe and Co.
- Observed a significant, more than two-fold increase in coercivity compared to binary and ternary borides.
- DFT calculations predicted magnetic anisotropy approaching 10^7 erg/cm^3.
Conclusions:
- Established a boron-assisted synthesis strategy for creating high magnetic anisotropy materials from earth-abundant elements.
- Demonstrated the potential of high entropy C16 borides as sustainable alternatives to rare-earth-based magnetic materials.
- The findings pave the way for developing next-generation magnetic technologies with improved sustainability.
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