The objective of this two-year cooperative research award between David J. Sellmyer, University of Nebraska and Zhao Jiangao, Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Physics is to study amorphous multilayered magnetic films based on rare-earths and transition metals. The investigators will concentrate on the relationship between physical properties such as magnetic ordering, random and coherent magnetic anisotropy and the microscopic structure of these alloy materials. The structure of homogenous and inhomogenous glasses and the potential of these materials for magneto-optic information storage will be assessed. This new proposals extends the research performed under a 1985 U.S.-China cooperative research grant. Rare earth-transition metal base alloys research is a very active and important area of materials sciences. These alloys are currently considered to be the best candidates for electronic devices and magnetic data storage. Their fundamental understanding will contribute to improved and better designed materials. High field magnetization, x-ray diffraction and electron microscopy measurements will be performed concurrently at the University of Nebraska and the Institute of Physics. The combined efforts of U.S. and Chinese scientists and laboratory facilities in performing these important measurements fulfills the U.S.-China Program principal objective, which is to advance scientific knowledge through international collaboration.
