Multifunctional metal -based materials have excellent electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness (SE) and soft magnetism in the military application. In pursuit of advancing multifunctional materials, particularly those metal -based materials exhibiting superior printability, soft magnetism and EMI SE. These endeavors encounter numerous challenges, with specific difficulties arising in printability and microstructure regulation. Herein, aiming to improve the soft magnetism and electromagnetic shielding performance of multifunctional alloys, a new FeCo-based alloy with different content of La2O3, Y2O3, Nd2O3 rare earth oxide, and rare earth Gd co -incorporation was prepared by laser multilayer cladding. Results show that the multifunctional FeCo-based alloys with optimized rare earth addition of La2O3, Y2O3, Nd2O3, and Gd exhibit highly super electromagnetic shielding property. Equal weight proportion of rare earth additions is key to a superior EMI shielding effectiveness of 96 dB at 23.9 GHz with the highest saturation magnetization (217.4 emu/g), which exceeds the quality standards in military applications. The discovery that in -situ generation of an ultrafine special alpha-Fe structure, encompassing a variety of rare earth compound nanoparticles and sub -micron chain particles during alloy synthesis, is instrumental in substantially elevating their electromagnetic shielding efficacy. The enhancement of soft magnetic properties and EMI shielding performance in the laser -clad multifunctional alloys can be attributed to a synergistic interplay between increased magnetic moments, dielectric and ohmic losses, and the unique refined alpha-Fe microstructure. This research presents innovative theoretical frameworks and technical strategies for the formulation of rare earth -enriched multifunctional alloys with EMI shielding properties, utilizing laser cladding technology.
