Probing the Magnetism of Medium and High Entropy Alloys

Technological advances and indeed new periods of civilisation are inextricably linked to new materials which open up new possibilities because of the superior properties they exhibit. High-entropy alloys are a recently discovered class of materials. These are electronically complex materials because of the high degree of disorder whereby the crystal structure is still based on a face-centred cubic structure but each lattice point is randomly occupied by one of typically five different elements with equal probability. This disorder has a large impact on the electronic properties (including magnetism) and a future exploitation demands a detailed understanding of way their electrons behave and the nature of the magnetism at an atomic scale. At the moment, insight into their magnetic order at the atomic scale has come almost entirely from computer simulations rather than experiment, and basic ideas have not been experimentally tested. We aim to rectify this by probing their magnetism using light from a synchrotron. By doing this, it is hoped that we will be able to establish a firm basis for future technological exploitation.

New materials with new properties are at the heart of future prosperity. This proposal is not developing new materials, but it is aimed at establishing their magnetic properties which could in future be commercially exploited in new ways. For example, new soft magnetic materials with tunable properties could be developed.

New materials are likely to improve quality of life, contribute to a healthier society, and find contribue in the sphere of international development. These high entropy alloys are already being considered for nuclear energy applications because of their radiation tolerance. By better understanding the magnetic properties, new applications (for example, better, cheaper magnetocaloric materials for regrigeration) could emerge which could have a transformative effect on the environment.