This three-year award provides support for US-France cooperative research aimed at the development of high performance magnets. The collaboration involves the research groups of William J. James at the University of Missouri at Rolla and Philippe l'Heritier of the Ecole Normale Superieure de Physique, Grenoble, France. The investigators will focus on the synthesis and characterization of rare earth transition metal alloys. Nitrogen, carbon and boron will be inserted interstitially and the resulting compounds will be analyzed and characterized by magnetic, thermal and x-ray measurement. The US investigators will employ neutron diffraction to provide site-specific information and information about magnetic structure. The French investigators will carry out the thermal analysis using x-ray diffraction. The US investigators bring to this collaboration expertise in magnetic characterization and neutron diffraction techniques. This is complemented by French expertise in chemical and thermal analyses and in low temperature x-ray studies. The project will advance understanding of the magnetic structure needed for the development of high energy magnets.
