Magnetic properties and coercivity mechanism of high Ce-content CeNdFeB film with Tb diffusion

Abstract

Magnetic properties and coercivity mechanism of an anisotropic Ce–Nd–Fe–B film with a high Ce content (70 at. % Nd is replaced by Ce) have been investigated. After grain boundary diffusion with Tb layers, an enhancement of coercivity from 4150 to 9250 Oe is observed. Combining the initial magnetization curves, micromagnetic theory, and in-siut observation of magnetic domains in the demagnetization process, it is confirmed that the coercivity mechanism for the high-Ce-content magnets is the mixed type dominated by the pinning mechanism. Moreover, as the thickness of the Tb diffusion layer increases, the pinning center of domain walls changes from narrow planar inhomogeneities to wide planar inhomogeneities. A growing role of pinning plays in determining the coercivity of samples with increasing the thickness of Tb layer due to the increase in magnetocrystalline anisotropy after Tb substitution in the RE2Fe14B phase. In addition, the CeFe2 intergranular phase leads to the enhancement of coercivity due to decoupling the hard magnetic phase grains. Our results provide an insight into the coercivity mechanism of high-Ce-concentration Ce–Nd–Fe–B magnetic materials and promote the comprehension of the effect of Tb diffusion in the magnetization reversal process.