In this study, the interface structure of α-Fe/Nd2Fe14B nanocomposite magnets has been investigated by employing both the positron lifetime spectroscopy and the two-detector Doppler broadening measurements of the positron–electron annihilation γ quanta. Positron lifetime studies show that there are two kinds of interface structures in the magnets. One characterized by a positron lifetime of 155 ps is determined to be the interfacial amorphous layer. The other has a slack atomic structure in which structural free volumes, which were detected to be predominantly surrounded by nonmagnetic atoms Nd and B by the Doppler broadening measurements, have a larger size than that of one to two lattice vacancies of Fe. This is believed to weaken the magnetic exchange coupling between α-Fe and Nd2Fe14B grains in the nanocomposites.
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