Project Title: Magnetic Amorphous/Nanocrystalline Dual-Phase Materials with Intelligent Control of Their Reversible Magnetic Properties
Project Acronym: MAGIC-PRO
Project Code: PN-IV-P1-PCE-2023-1896
Contract No.: 12PCE/2025
Duration: 36 months
Budget: 1 200 000 lei
Project Summary:
The main objective of the MAGIC-PRO project is to design, develop, and characterize a range of dual-phase magnetic materials that allow for the controlled switching between amorphous-like and nanocrystalline-like magnetic properties under the influence of an external stimulus, in order to achieve a wider range of tunability than current amorphous and nanocrystalline magnetic materials. The external stimulus would act on the magnetic anisotropy, changing the magnetic exchange length, which could therefore be either smaller or larger than the inter-grain distance. By accurately controlling the annealing of such materials, one could control the size and distribution of the nanocrystallites, which would in turn affect the magnetic properties.
The concept of reversible magnetic properties is novel and has never been explored before. Its achievement would be a significant breakthrough, as it would allow for the development of new and improved magnetic devices with significantly improved characteristics.
The associate objective of MAGIC-PRO is to exploit the potential applications of the novel dual-phase magnetic materials, grounded in their unique reversible magnetic properties. This includes, but is not limited to, the exploration and development of innovative mechanical stress sensing devices, magnetic field sensing devices, current sensors, or even sensing devices employing dual operating principles.
Research Team:
Tibor-Adrian Óvári - Project Director
Horia Chiriac - Experienced Scientist
Nicoleta Lupu - Experienced Scientist
Sorin Corodeanu - Researcher
Gabriel Ababei - Researcher
George Stoian - Researcher
Costică Hlenschi - Postdoctoral Researcher
Iustina Șerbănescu - PhD Student (Young Researcher)
Publications:
- “Advances in magnetic nanowires and submicron wires prepared by the quenching-and-drawing technique”
Authors: T.-A. Óvári, N. Lupu, H. Chiriac
Chapter 5 (45 pages)in Magnetic Nano- and Microwires: Design, Synthesis, Properties and Applications, 3rd Edition -March 1, 2026, Editor: Manuel Vázquez, Elsevier - Woodhead Publishing, Paperback ISBN: 9780443365348, eBook ISBN: 9780443365355. - “Micromagnetic investigation of geometry and composition effects on magnetic hysteresis in rapidly solidified cylindrical amorphous glass-coated nanowires”
Authors: C. Rotărescu, H. Chiriac, N. Lupu and T.-A. Óvári
Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials (MAGMA-D-25-02509), under review. - “Reversible magnetic behavior in amorphous wires for precision sensing applications”
Authors: T.-A. Óvári, M. Lostun, S. Corodeanu, G. Ababei, H. Chiriac, N. Lupu
Scientific Reports (Submission ID: 41317cc8-695c-4235-80f1-c0a1410b0d10), under review.
Conferences:
- “Direct visualization of magnetic domain walls in submicronic amorphous wires”
Authors: T.-A. Óvári, G. Ababei, S. Corodeanu, H. Chiriac, N. Lupu
29th International Symposium on Metastable, Amorphous and Nanostructured Materials – ISMANAM 2025, 22-27 June 2025, Bratislava, Slovakia - “Engineered domain wall interactions in submicron amorphous wires”
Authors: S. Corodeanu, C. Hlenschi, C. Rotărescu, H. Chiriac, N. Lupu, T.-A. Óvári
Joint European Magnetic Symposia – JEMS 2025, 24-29 August 2025, Frankfurt, Germany - “Soft magnetic behavior and magnetization reversal in rapidly solidified submicronic amorphous wires”
Authors: T.-A. Óvári, S. Corodeanu, G. Ababei, H. Chiriac, N. Lupu
27th Soft Magnetic Materials Conference – SMM 27, 8-11 September 2025, Torino, Italy
Impact:
The development of dual-phase amorphous/nanocrystalline magnetic materials with reversible magnetic properties promises a major advance in soft magnetic materials. Their tunable and resettable behavior could enable improved magnetic permeability, enhanced thermal stability, and superior magnetoelastic responses, opening the way for next-generation magnetic sensors and actuators with higher sensitivity, broader operating ranges, and increased efficiency. Beyond technological applications, these materials offer a new platform for exploring nanoscale magnetic interactions, deepening our scientific understanding of magnetism. The project is expected to generate high-impact scientific results suitable for leading journals and conferences, to support open-science dissemination, and to stimulate innovation through a planned patent and collaboration with industrial end-users. It will also contribute to training the next generation of researchers in advanced magnetic materials and sensing technologies.
Main Results Achieved in the First Year (2025):
During the first year of the MAGIC-PRO project, we successfully fabricated a complete set of FINEMET amorphous precursors in multiple geometries—ribbons, conventional amorphous wires, glass-coated microwires, submicron wires, and nanowires—using several rapid solidification techniques. These precursor materials were subjected to controlled annealing procedures, enabling the formation of nanocrystalline phases with grain sizes in various nm ranges and demonstrating clear dependencies on sample geometry, size, and processing routes. Comprehensive structural and magnetic characterization (XRD, DSC, SEM/HR-SEM, STEM/EDS/SAED, UHR-TEM, hysteresis, permeability, and magneto-impedance measurements) confirmed the development of tailored nanocrystalline microstructures and significant improvements in soft magnetic behavior.
A key scientific highlight of 2025 was the preliminary demonstration of reversible magnetic behavior in amorphous Co-Fe-Si-B wires treated by optimized thermo-mechanical and relaxation annealing. This effect, attributed to reversible anelastic ordering of nanoscale clusters, enables reconfigurable magnetic responses with potential impact on high-precision sensing technologies. Overall, the project achieved full completion of Objective O1 (precursor fabrication) and strong progress on Objectives O2–O5 (thermal treatments, characterization, geometry effects, and property optimization), establishing a solid foundation for application-oriented developments in the next stages.