Emergence of magnetism in bulk amorphous palladium

Magnetism is a macro-manifestation of quantum phenomena due mainly to the spin and the orbital momentum of the electrons. In materials science magnetism can exhibit short- and long-range behavior giving rise to different properties in the bulk: paramagnetism, diamagnetism, ferromagnetism, etc.$^{1}$. Magnetism in palladium has been the subject of much work and more speculation$^{2-4}$. Bulk palladium in its crystalline form is paramagnetic with a high magnetic susceptibility$^{1}$. First principles simulations of palladium under pressure$^{2}$ and palladium nanoclusters$^{3}$ have generated interest to scrutinize its magnetic properties. Here we report another possibility: Palladium may become an itinerant ferromagnet in the amorphous bulk phase at atmospheric pressure. Atomic palladium is a $d^{10}$ element, whereas bulk crystalline Pd is a $d^{10-x}(sp)^{x}$ material; this, together with the possible presence of unsaturated bonds in amorphous materials, may explain the remnant magnetism reported herein. Properties of the amorphous counterpart have been little studied and consequently this is terra ignota that must be explored since the ample range of applications in geophysics, engineering, in transmission and generation of electric power, in magnetic recording, etc. demands a better knowledge of the phenomenon. In this work, we present and discuss magnetic effects in bulk amorphous palladium.