Magnetization processes in nanostructured metals and small-angle neutron scattering

The magnetization process in nanostructured (n-) Fe and Co was investigated via small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). In a zero field, the magnetization exhibits correlations extending over several grains. In intermediate applied magnetic fields around 10.3em0exkOe, n-Fe and n-Co samples with small grain sizes exhibit an anisotropic scattering profile with an unusual intensity enhancement for scattering vectors parallel to the field direction. Comparing the experimental data with a modeled granular microstructure containing magnetic domains of arbitrary size and orientation, we conclude that magnetic domains extending over several grains are tilted considerably out of the external field direction in intermediate fields. Since the domain size does not change significantly with the magnitude of the external field, we conclude that the magnetization process does not proceed via domain-wall motion. Together with theoretical arguments showing the existence of marginally stable domains within the random-anisotropy model, our SANS data suggests that the magnetization process proceeds by simultaneous reversal of a few adjacent domains, presumably in the form of small avalanches. This resembles the magnetization process predicted for random-field Ising magnets. Our theoretical analysis of SANS data is general and applies to other systems consisting of magnetic nanoclusters embedded in a nonmagnetic matrix.