Relationships between crystal structure and magnetic properties in Nd2 Fe14 B

Determination of the crystal structure of ${\mathrm{Nd}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Fe}}_{14}$B, a new ternary phase, is reported. It has recently been demonstrated that permanent magnets having large coercivities and energy products can be formed from this phase, underscoring its potential technological importance. We relate the crystal structure and intrinsic magnetic properties by considering analogies with previously known rare-earth---transition-metal materials.