Atomic origin of magnetocrystalline anisotropy in Nd2Fe14B -: art. no. 217207

The magnetic moment reversal at each of the two inequivalent Nd sites in a single crystal of ferromagnetic Nd2Fe14B is probed by dichroic resonant diffraction of circularly polarized x rays. The results, supported by theory, show that the c-axis intrinsic magnetic stability of this superior permanent magnetic material arises predominately at one of the Nd sites (g). The other site (f) undermines magnetic stability by favoring a magnetic moment orientation in the basal plane.