Local structure in amorphous Sm _x Co _1-x : a combined experimental and theoretical study

Using a combination of extended X-ray absorption fine structure measurements, stochastic quenching (SQ) calculations and Voronoi tessellation analysis, the local atomic environments in thin films of amorphous Sm _x Co _1-x ( x = 0.10, 0.22 and 0.35) are investigated and also compared with crystalline stoichiometric Sm–Co alloys of similar compositions. It is found that the variations in local environment around Co atoms in the amorphous films increase with increasing x and that none of the films exhibit any pronounced short-range order around the Sm atoms. There are, however, signs of clustering of Sm atoms in the SQ-generated simulated amorphous materials. Furthermore, good agreement is observed between experimentally obtained parameters, e.g., interatomic distances and coordination numbers, and those extracted from the simulated alloys. This is a strong indication that SQ provides a powerful route to reliable local structure information for amorphous rare earth–transition metal alloys and that it could be used for designing materials with properties that meet the demands of specific applications.