Dipole-field-induced spin disorder in a nanocomposite soft magnet

We report on a study of a magnetic nanocomposite of the Nanoperm type (Fe89Zr7B3Cu1) by magnetic small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). The understanding of the magnetic microstructure of these materials leaves much to be desired since we lack techniques capable of resolving the spin structure in the bulk with nanoscale resolution. Here, we present an analysis of the SANS signal by which one cannot only characterise the nanoscale structure of the spin system, but which allows to identify origin and structure of the perturbing field. In Nanoperm, an unusual angular anisotropy of the scattering suggests that the local spin misalignment decorates, as the most important perturbing field, dipole stray fields around the crystalline phase of the composite.