Structural, magnetic and magnetotransport properties of melt-spun Fe/sub 10/Cu/sub 90/

Melt-spun Fe/sub 10/Cu/sub 90/ shows a negative magnetoresistance with a nearly linear dependence on external field. The microstructure has Fe-atoms on fcc-sites, corresponding to C_u_Fe solid solution, and in bcc /spl alpha/-Fe precipitates. Magnetic data indicate the presence of magnetic couplings between magnetic clusters. It is argued that both microstructures corresponding to the two locations of Fe, yield a mechanism for magnetoresistance. The resistivity in zero field shows a minimum at a temperature above the magnetic freezing or ordering temperature determined as the peak of ac-susceptibility. Glassy dynamics is seen from a creep of the resistivity after cooling below the freezing temperature. A simple micromagnetic model is applied to describe the increase of magnetoresistance with the amount of precipitated /spl alpha/-Fe.