Normal-state magnetic susceptibility as a structural probe in an amorphous superconducting Zr-Co alloy

Amorphous ${\mathrm{Zr}}_{65}$ ${\mathrm{Co}}_{35}$ alloys were prepared by melt spinning with different cooling rates. The x-ray diffraction patterns, superconducting transitions, and normal-state magnetic properties were studied. The differences in x-ray results and superconducting $T_c$'s between these samples were small. The temperature and field dependence of the magnetic susceptibility were both found to vary significantly with cooling rate. This is interpreted in terms of the effect of varying cooling rate on Co-rich clusters.