Metals

Impact of magnetic field on directional crystallization in gallium

A. A. Vasiliev^a, D. Yu. Nefedov^a, E. V. Charnaya^a, A. Kalmykova^a, M. K. Lee^b, L.-J. Chang<sup>c

a</sup> Saint Petersburg State University
^b Instrument Center of Ministry of Science and Technology at National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
^c Department of Physics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan

Abstract: We used nuclear magnetic resonance to study the impact of strong magnetic field on the orientation of gallium crystalline axes during crystallization from melted gallium. Directional crystallization of gallium was observed in magnetic fields of 7, 9.4 and 11.7 T by the appearance of the narrow resonance lines similar to those in single crystals. The orienting effect of the magnetic field has been demonstrated during the formation of both the stable $\alpha$-Ga and the metastable $\beta$-Ga. It was shown that the crystalline a axis was directed along the magnetic field in oriented $\alpha$-Ga regions. The fractions of oriented $\alpha$-Ga and $\beta$-Ga increased with increasing magnetic field from 0.24 for 7 T to 0.4 for 11.7 T.

Keywords: directional solidification in magnetic field, gallium, nuclear magnetic resonance, $\alpha$-Ga, $\beta$-Ga.

Received: 08.10.2025
Revised: 08.10.2025
Accepted: 10.10.2025

DOI: 10.61011/FTT.2025.10.61958.272-25

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