Giant Non-Joulian Magnetostriction in Fe-Al Single Crystals

Abstract

A series of measurements aimed at comparing the magneto-elastic response and non-Joulian properties (magneto-volume) of single crystals of the iron-aluminum alloys Fe_81.8 Al_18.2 with different thermal treatments were per formed; the results of which confirmed net volume expansion in all field orientations. The magnitude of this expansion varied largely across various magnetic field alignments, with a greater than four times larger expansion for fields parallel to the [010] crystal axis than the [100] axis. The magnitude and direction of the change in volumetric expansion from quenched crystals to slow cooled crystals also depended heavily on the orientation of the magnetic field, with reduced magneto-volume responses ranging from ~2.4 to 0.5 times smaller for fields parallel to the [100] and [110] crystal axes respectively. These results present evidence of the non-Joulian effect and places crystals of the iron aluminum alloy Fe_81.8 Al_18.2 within the realm of functional non-Joulian magnets.