Research

The first investigations of the department were oriented towards the correlation between the structure and magnetic properties of the magnetically soft (based on FeSi crystals) and hard (based on Sm and Co) materials. The microsegregation of impurities in FeSi and FeNi were also studied. Later the melt spinning device for rapid quenching was developed. Thus, investigations on metallic glasses started. Magnetic properties, relaxation phenomena, embrittlement and crystallization on the transition metals based glasses were performed.
    Nowadays the group is more oriented towards the  study of the mechanical properties, plastic deformationand failure processes of these materials. Methods of the linear fracture mechanics at room as well as low temperatures down to 4.2 K and the statistical fractographic analysis have been used in experiments. Another group in the department studies the properties of ‘deformation defects’ responsible for the plastic deformation processes and the mechanism of their participation in various deformation modes in metallic glasses (cooperation with Institut of Physics SAS, Bratislava). Mechanical and thermomechanical testing methods and thermal analysis have been used to prove different models of the deformation behaviour of the amorphous metallic structure.
     After the high-Tc superconductors (HTSC) were discovered another part of the department started to prepare and investigate the YBaCuO bulk ceramics and thin oxide layers on the rapidly quenched YBaCu ribbons. Recently the pure and doped YBaCuO, BiSrCaCuO and TlBaSrCaCuO HTSC compunds have been prepared in the form of bulk ceramics, in magnetic field textured polymer-superconductor composites and single crystals. The influence of the secondary phases, doping (Pr, Fe, Zn, F) and the heat treatment, has been tested by several methods.
     Succesfull international collaboration has been established with European physical institutes and universities (Kharkov, Voronez, Groningen).
     The department is equipped with a thermal analysis laboratory (incl. differential scanning calorimeter, thermal and thermogravimetry analyzer, thermomechanical analyzer) and an electron microscopy laboratory (scanning electron optical microscope).