Exploring structural origin of the enhanced magnetostriction in Tb-doped Fe₈₃Ga₁₇ ribbons: Tuning Tb solubility

Minor rare earth Tb addition greatly enhances the magnetostriction of Fe₈₃Ga₁₇ alloy. However, the structural origin of the enhanced magnetostriction remains unclear, since it is quite difficult to detect Tb element directly. Here, high temperature annealing is designed to tune the Tb solubility for exploring its structure origin in the Tb doped Fe₈₃Ga₁₇ ribbons. It is found during annealing a Tb-rich phase precipitates, leading to the decrease of the tetragonal distortion of the matrix, and the dramatic decrease of the magnetostriction accordingly. These results inversely consolidate that the enhanced magnetostriction is induced by solid soluted Tb element in Fe-Ga alloy.