Magnetic anisotropy in the incommensurate ScFe4Al8 system

• We found dipolar and DM interactions as the anisotropy origins of 3d–3d–3p alloy.
• We covered the explanation of incommensurability and noncollinearity of ScFe4Al8.
• We discussed the magnetism resulting from competitiveness of exchange effects.

Neutron scattering and magnetization data are used for estimation of the spin ordering in ScFe4Al8. Results of experimental measurements are compared with the ground state configurations obtained by simulated annealing algorithms. The origins of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the scandium intermetallic alloy and the conditions of the coexistence of two different magnetic modulations as a function of the exchange integrals are discussed. The influence of the dipolar interactions for the noncollinearity and incommensurability in ScFe4Al8 was determined.