Emergence of magnetism in bulk amorphous palladium

Abstract

Magnetism in palladium has been the subject of much work and speculation. Bulk crystalline palladium is paramagnetic with a high magnetic susceptibility. Palladium under pressure and palladium nanoclusters have generated interest to scrutinize its magnetic properties. Here we report another possibility: Palladium may become an itinerant ferromagnet in the amorphous bulk phase at atmospheric pressure. Atomic palladium is a d${}^{10}$ element, whereas bulk crystalline Pd is a d${}^{10-x}$(sp)${}^x$ material; this, together with the possible presence of 'unsaturated bonds' in amorphous materials, may explain the remnant magnetism reported herein. This work presents and discusses magnetic effects in bulk amorphous palladium.

6 Pages, 4 Figures, 1 Table