Machine-learning-guided high-throughput discovery of rare earth-free Fe-Co-S magnets
Phys. Rev. Materials 10, 104404 – Published 2 October, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/dr17-jbzc
Abstract
We present a machine-learning-guided first-principles study of rare-earth-free magnetic materials in the Fe-Co-S ternary system. A crystal-graph convolutional neural network (CGCNN) fine-tuned through three successive generations of iterative retraining, combined with adaptive genetic algorithm (AGA) structure searches, rapidly screens more than 300 000 substitutional structures and down-selects approximately 1400 candidates for density-functional-theory (DFT) validation. Spin-polarized DFT screening followed by phonon calculations identifies two dynamically stable tetragonal candidates, () and (), with saturation polarization and energies approximately 0.10 eV/atom above the convex hull. These compounds emerge as the leading synthesis targets. Notably, exhibits eV/atom, , and magnetocrystalline anisotropy . We also identify eight near-hull phases ( eV/atom) and independently rediscover the electrochemically prominent spinel , providing an internal validation of the search strategy. Compared with our prior Fe-Co-C/Si/P studies, Fe-Co-S exhibits distinct stability and magnetization regimes consistent with the larger sulfur anion. The combination of machine learning with quantum simulations narrows synthesis targets for Fe-rich sulfides with high and moderate , which are competitive with hard ferrites.