Structural and Magnetic Characterizations of Y$_{\mathrm{x}}$Co$_{\mathrm{y}}$ Nanowires*

Nanowires of YxCo$_{\mathrm{y}}$ (Y$_{2}$Co$_{17}$, YCo$_{3}$ and YCo$_{5})$ are grown using electrospinning technique and by annealing at high temperature. The size of the nanowires varies from 80 -- 300 nm in diameter. Structural analyses show that Y$_{2}$Co$_{17}$ exhibits rhombohedral crystal structure while YCo$_{5}$ displays hexagonal crystal structure. The as-grown nanowires are polycrystalline in nature with an average grain size of 40 nm. YCo$_{3}$ nanowires are amorphous in nature. All the Y$_{\mathrm{x}}$Co$_{\mathrm{y}}$ nanowires are found to be strong ferromagnetic materials as reported in the bulk system. The observed coercivity of the Y$_{\mathrm{x}}$Co$_{\mathrm{y}}$ nanowires is low, typically around 500 Oe in comparison to the large coercivity observed in YCo nanoparictles