Atomic magnetic moment and electronic structure of Fe-B amorphous alloys based on x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Abstract The electronic structure of Fe 100- x B x amorphous alloys for 14 ⩽ x ⩽ 19.5 has been studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and calculated in terms of the modified coherent potential approximation. Exchange splitting measurements of 3 s -spectra were used to estimate the atomic magnetic moment of the Fe atom in Fe-B amorphous alloys. These results agree qualitatively with saturation magnetization measurements including the deviation from the Slater-Pauling curve. This deviation according to our calculations is the result of the specific charge transfer of s , p and d electrons at about 15.5 at % B. The calculation in ternary alloy approach shows a stable ferromagnetic state of Fe atoms for the studied alloy concentrations.