Nano-alloys of the Co–Pt type (CoPt or FePt) are interesting due to the direct link between their magnetic and structural properties. They have been extensively studied during past recent years, in particular regarding the question of chemical order (with the so-called L10 structure) which can induce an exceptional magnetic behavior, for the bulk material.

This review article deals with the magnetic, structural and morphological properties of CoPt nano-alloys, from different points of view: phase diagram (temperature, composition, size effects), kinetics (growth, chemical ordering) and environment (substrate, matrix, gas). By covering both theoretical and experimental aspects, it offers a thorough overview of recently published results on CoPt nanoparticles (especially, following the cluster deposition approach specific to the ILM) and emphasizes the complexity and fruitfulness of this system.

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