Giant magnetostriction on Fe85Ga15 stacked ribbon samples

Large magnetostrictions of -1300 and +1100 ppm related in the different directions have been obtained in our stacked Fe85Ga15 ribbon samples. In the case of non-180degrees domain magnetization in the high anisotropic samples, the magnetostrictions are mainly attributed to the existence of Ga clusters which preferentially orient with the ribbon normal due to the ribbon grain texturing. Forming the modified DO3 structure, the Ga-Ga atom pairs distribute in the matrix and cause the x-ray diffraction peak split in melt-spun ribbons. As a special micromorphology, Ga clusters highly condensed in some nanoscale dots have also been experimentally observed. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.