Angular dependence of the magnetization process in low and highly magnetostrictive amorphous glass-coated nanowires prepared by rapid quenching and drawing

Abstract The angular dependence of magnetic hysteresis in rapidly quenched amorphous nanowires with two compositions - the low magnetostrictive (Co 0.94 Fe 0.06 ) 72.5 Si 12.5 B 15 and the highly magnetostrictive Fe 77.5 Si 7.5 B 15 , respectively - is analyzed by means of micromagnetic simulations. The investigated samples were 30 and 100 nm in diameter. The magnetization process depends on the angle at which the external magnetic field is applied. Fe 77.5 Si 7.5 B 15 amorphous nanowires with smaller diameters exhibit larger coercivity than (Co 0.94 Fe 0.06 ) 72.5 Si 12.5 B 15 ones, irrespective of the angle at which the external field is applied. Moreover, both types of nanowires have similar remanence values at 30 nm diameters. However, nanowires with larger diameters (100 nm), exhibit a more complex behavior, since the (Co 0.94 Fe 0.06 ) 72.5 Si 12.5 B 15 samples exhibit a slightly larger coercivity as compared to the Fe 77.5 Si 7.5 B 15 ones. The magnetization reversal process is influenced by the interplay between the preponderant factors that affect the overall magnetic properties of amorphous nanowires with different compositions and dimensions. The results allow one to accurately tailor the magnetic behavior of rapidly solidified amorphous nanowires for various applications.