Speromagnetism at the ferrimagnetic compensation point in an Fe64Er19B17 metallic glass — the head of a dandelion, or the spokes of a wheel?

Abstract

Magnetization and neutron scattering measurements with polarization analysis were made on an Fe64Er19B17 glass in an applied field of 2 Tesla to investigate its ferrimagnetic compensation at Tcomp = 112±2 K. The measurements prove that the glass has a non-collinear magnetic structure. The two non-spin flip cross-sections interchange between 100 K and 125 K, showing the magnetic structure flips at Tcomp. They are identical at 112 K where the forward limit of the spin flip crosssections, |dσ±∓/dΘ|Q=0, was also greatest. We discuss these observations, and compare competing models for the magnetic structure of the glass at Tcomp.