TY - JOUR A1 - Smekhova, A. A1 - Kuzmin, A. A1 - Siemensmeyer, K. A1 - Luo, C. A1 - Taylor, J. A1 - Thakur, S. A1 - Radu, F. A1 - Weschke, E. A1 - de Oliveira Guilherme Buzanich, Ana A1 - Xiao, B. A1 - Savan, A. A1 - Yusenko, Kirill A1 - Ludwig, A. T1 - Local structure and magnetic properties of a nanocrystalline Mn-rich Cantor alloy thin film down to the atomic scale JF - Nano Research N2 - The huge atomic heterogeneity of high-entropy materials along with a possibility to unravel the behavior of individual components at the atomic scale suggests a great promise in designing new compositionally complex systems with the desired multi-functionality. Herein, we apply multi-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES), and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD)) to probe the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of all individual constituents in the single-phase face-centered cubic (fcc)-structured nanocrystalline thin film of Cr20Mn26Fe18Co19Ni17 (at.%) high-entropy alloy on the local scale. The local crystallographic ordering and component-dependent lattice displacements were explored within the reverse Monte Carlo approach applied to EXAFS spectra collected at the K absorption edges of several constituents at room temperature. A homogeneous short-range fcc atomic environment around the absorbers of each type with very similar statistically averaged interatomic distances (2.54–2.55 Å) to their nearest-neighbors and enlarged structural relaxations of Cr atoms were revealed. XANES and XMCD spectra collected at the L2,3 absorption edges of all principal components at low temperature from the oxidized and in situ cleaned surfaces were used to probe the oxidation states, the changes in the electronic structure, and magnetic behavior of all constituents at the surface and in the sub-surface volume of the film. The spin and orbital magnetic moments of Fe, Co, and Ni components were quantitatively evaluated. The presence of magnetic phase transitions and the co-existence of different magnetic phases were uncovered by conventional magnetometry in a broad temperature range. KW - Magnetism KW - High-entropy alloys KW - Reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) KW - Element-specific spectroscopy KW - Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS), KW - X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-578254 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-022-5135-3 SN - 1998-0124 SP - 5626 PB - Springer AN - OPUS4-57825 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -