Permanent Magnets Featuring Heavy Main Group Elements for Magnetic Anisotropy

Permanent magnets reside at the core of energy technologies ranging from wind turbines to regenerative brakes in electric vehicles. Improving the magnets within these electric generators will have a tremendous impact on energy efficiency and will meet core DOE needs. Crucially, progressing towards alternate magnet technologies will support our national goal of energy independence, since we obtain the rare-earth elements used in state-of-the-art magnets from China. To develop a new class of permanent magnet while retaining the properties conferred by rare-earth elements, we propose combining the two components of a magnetic moment—spin and orbital angular momentum—from two separate atoms to engender a complete magnetic moment. The work proposed herein follows up on a seed project focused alternate syntheses of the compound FeBi2, which combines spin from Fe with extreme orbital angular momentum from Bi. First, this project will continue research on accessing FeBi2 via four alternative distinct pathways. Concurrently, we will initiate a program focused on creating new materials, which will comprise the primary focus on the program for the later years. Specifically, we propose harnessing unusual synthetic routes to transition metal-bismuth and transition metal-lead compounds including shockwave synthesis to create new generations of permanent magnets. In a separate approach, we will study the impact of orbital angular momentum from bismuth on transition metals through the synthesis of layered materials. Here we will employ single layers of bismuth and antimony and interface those layers with iron.