Electronic structure and properties of (TiZrNbCu)1-xNix high entropy amorphous alloys

Abstract A comprehensive study of selected properties of four (TiZrNbCu) 1-x Ni x (x ≤ 0.25) amorphous high entropy alloys (a-HEA) has been performed. The samples were ribbons about 20 μm thick and their fully amorphous state was verified by X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis. The surface morphology, precise composition and the distribution of components were studied with a Scanning electron microscope (SEM) with an energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) attachment. The properties selected were the melting temperature (T m ), the low temperature specific heat (LTSH), the magnetic susceptibility χ exp and the Young's modulus (E). Whereas LTSH and χ exp were measured for the as-cast samples, E was measured both for as-cast samples and relaxed samples (after a short anneal close to the glass transition temperature). The LTSH showed that the electronic density of states at the Fermi level, N 0 (E F ), decreases with increasing x, whereas the Debye temperature (θ D ) increases with x. This is similar to what is observed in binary and ternary amorphous alloys of early transition metals (TE) with late transition metals (TL) and indicates that N 0 (E F ) is dominated by the d-electrons of the TE. The LTSH also showed the absence of superconductivity down to 1.8 K and indicated the emergence of the Boson peak above 4 K in all alloys. The free-electron like paramagnetic contribution to χ exp also decreases with x, whereas E, like θ D , increases with x, indicating enhanced interatomic bonding on addition of Ni. The applicability of the rule of mixtures to these and other similar HEAs is briefly discussed.