The effects of high magnetic field on crystallization of Fe71(Nb0.8Zr0.2)6B23 bulk metallic glass

We report that the high magnetic field (HMF) retards crystallization, i.e. helps to keep a fully amorphous state of bulk metallic glass (BMG) upon isothermal annealing in the supercooled liquid region. Particularly, the application of HMF during an annealing process can effectively suppress the crystallization of boride (e.g. Fe23B6-type phase, or even a hard magnetic Fe2B phase) from the amorphous matrix of Fe71(Nb0.8Zr0.2)6B23 BMG. Thus by delaying crystallization, HMF can enhance the soft magnetic properties of high B content Fe-based bulk amorphous and nanocrystalline materials.