Temperature dependence of magnetoelastic properties of Fe100−xSix (5 < x < 20)

Tetragonal magnetostriction (λγ,2) and elastic constants (c′, c44, and c11) for Fe100−xSix were measured as a function of temperature (T). Compositions corresponding to the disordered A2 (x = 5), ordered D03 (x = 19.8), and mixed (x = 11.6) phases, were investigated. The magnetoelastic coupling (−b1) was determined for 77 < T < 300 K and compared with those of Fe-Ga, Fe-Ge, and Fe-Al. Both λγ,2(T) and −b1(T) of Fe-Si behave similarly to those of Fe-Ge, while other notable differences exist between the measured properties of Fe-Si and those of the other three alloys. Due to the early establishment of short range order, Fe-Si exhibits a positive, although small, slope in λγ,2(T) at 5 at. % Si, and a remarkable drop in −b1 before the solubility limit. The weaker softening of the tetragonal shear modulus with the addition of Si and the lack of strong anharmonic effects in the Fe-Si lattice inferred from the weak T-dependence of all the moduli suggest that Fe-Si exhibits more structural stability than the othe...