Probing the A1 to L10 Transformation in FeCuPt Using the First Order Reversal Curve Method

TL;DR

This study uses the first-order reversal curve (FORC) method to analyze the phase transformation from A1 to L10 in FeCuPt thin films, providing a quantitative and non-destructive way to assess phase purity and transformation mechanisms.

Contribution

It introduces the FORC method as a novel approach to distinguish and quantify A1 and L10 phases in FeCuPt films, overcoming limitations of traditional x-ray diffraction.

Findings

L10 phase forms via nucleation and growth.

FORC deconvolutes A1 and L10 phases effectively.

Phase homogeneity varies with annealing temperature.

Abstract

The A1- L10 phase transformation has been investigated in (001) FeCuPt thin films prepared by atomic-scale multilayer sputtering and rapid thermal annealing (RTA). Traditional x-ray diffraction is not always applicable in generating a true order parameter, due to non-ideal crystallinity of the A1 phase. Using the first-order reversal curve (FORC) method, the A1 and L10 phases are deconvoluted into two distinct features in the FORC distribution, whose relative intensities change with the RTA temperature. The L10 ordering takes place via a nucleation-and-growth mode. A magnetization-based phase fraction is extracted, providing a quantitative measure of the L10 phase homogeneity.