Fe-B glasses formed by picosecond pulsed laser quenching

Using picosecond pulsed laser irradiation, Fe-B alloys have been melted and quenched into glasses, with a B content as low as 5 at. %, which is significantly less than the minimum 12-at. % B content required for glass formation by other liquid quenching techniques. Compositionally modulated films with wavelengths on the order of 20 Å were used as starting materials to ensure homogeneity of the melt after irradiation.