Magnetic characterization of Cu ₅₆Ga ₂₈Mn ₁₆ microwires

The phase constitution, morphology and magnetic properties were investigated in glass-coated microwires of the Cu-Ga-Mn ternary system produced by the Taylor-Ulitovsky method. The composition determined by energy dispersive X-ray EDS microanalysis was Cu ₅₆Ga ₂₈Mn ₁₆. Samples were studied in the as-cast state and after annealing at 100°C dur-ing 30 minutes. The low-field temperature dependence of magnetization showed the co-existence of two ferromagnetic phases in both, as-cast and annealed samples that persisted af-ter annealing. The Curie temperature of major phase is 125 K, while for the second phase is above room temperature. Hys-teresis loops measured at 50 K and 350 K, underlined the fer-romagnetic character of both phases, while coercive field de-creases with annealing more at low temperature than at 350 K [as-cast wire: H _c = 387 Oe (50 K) and 40 Oe (350 K); an-nealed wire: H _c = 225 Oe (50 K) and 35 Oe (350 K)].