First-principles prediction of enhanced magnetic anisotropy in FeCo alloys

Abstract

The structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of FeCo alloys were studied by first-principles calculations. It has been found that the alloys prefer chemically noncubic geometries in a wide composition range. This produces appreciable uniaxial magnetic anisotropy, which facilitates interphase magnetic interaction and enhances the overall magnetization in exchange-coupled nanocomposite systems. Large magnetostrictive coefficients provide another venue for manipulations of magnetic anisotropy energies.