The rapid advancement of modern electronics, telecommunications, and artificial intelligence has driven an urgent demand for high-performance soft magnetic materials, particularly those compatible with third-generation semiconductors. These semiconductors, characterized by wide bandgaps, high breakdown fields, and superior thermal conductivity, enable power devices to operate at higher frequencies (> 1 MHz) and power densities. However, traditional soft magnetic materials, such as silicon steels and ferrites, face inherent trade-offs between critical properties: saturation magnetization (Bs) versus coercivity (Hc), permeability versus core loss, and mechanical strength versus magnetic “softness”. These limitations hinder their applications in emerging high-frequency high-efficiency scenarios. Amorphous soft magnetic materials, with their unique hierarchical ordered structures ranging from atomic scale to nano scale, offer a revolutionary platform to overcome these trade-offs. These materials exhibit rich physical properties governed by short-range order (SRO, < 0.5 nm), medium-range order (MRO, 0.5–2.0 nm), and amorphous-nanocrystalline dual-phase architectures. The concept of order modulation strategically tailoring the intrinsic characteristics (e.g., cluster density, topological configuration) and spatial arrangements of these ordered structures has emerged as a transformative approach to decoupling conflicting material properties. This review systematically examines the following key aspects: 1) Historical evolution of soft magnetic materials The development of soft magnetic materials has kept pace with advances in power electronics technology, from early silicon steels and ferrites to modern amorphous and nanocrystalline alloys. The advent of Fe-based amorphous alloys and finemet-type nanocrystalline alloys marks milestones in achieving high Bs (>1.6 T), ultra-low Hc (< 1 A/m), and reduces core losses at high frequencies. However, performance bottlenecks still exist near theoretical limits, and require innovative strategies. 2) Theoretical foundations of order modulation Order parameter theory: Landau’s phase transition theory and synergetics elucidate how magnetic order parameters govern macroscopic properties. In amorphous alloys, magnetic interactions are dominated by SRO clusters and their MRO arrangements.Magnetism-structure relationships: advanced techniques, such as atomic electron tomography (AET) and synchrotron pair distribution function (PDF) analysis, reveal that SRO/MRO structures directly influence exchange coupling, magnetic anisotropy, and domain wall dynamics. For instance, Fe-M (M = Si, B) clusters with dense packing enhance Bs, while MRO homogenization reduces Hc. 3) Advances in order-modulated amorphous soft magnetic materials Atomic-scale modulation: elemental doping (e.g., Co, Mo, Cu) and energy-field treatments (e.g., magnetic annealing and ultrasonic vibration) optimize local atomic configurations. For example, ultrasonic processing of Fe78Si9B13 ribbons induces stress relaxation, forming 2–3 nm Fe-M clusters that increase Bs to 183.2 emu/g while maintaining Hc at 4.2 A/m.Nanoscale dual-phase design: controlled crystallization of α-Fe(Si) nanocrystals (<15 nm) within an amorphous matrix creates exchange-coupled nanocomposites. Co-Mo co-doping in FeSiBCuNb alloys refines grain size to 11.8 nm, achieving a permeability of 65000 H/m at 100 kHz–44% higher than traditional finemet alloys.Interface engineering in soft magnetic composites (SMCs): core-shell architectures (e.g., FeSiB@FeB nanoparticles) with stress-buffering interfaces reduce eddy current losses while preserving permeability. Cold sintering of vortex-domain FeSiAl powders enables GHz-range operation with stable permeability (μi = 13 at 1 GHz). 4) Future directions and challenges Machine learning-driven design: integrating high-throughput simulations with AI models (e.g., XGBoost, random forests) accelerates the discovery of optimal compositions and order parameters. Recent work predicts Bs by using Fe content, mixing enthalpy, and electronegativity differences, guiding the synthesis of (Fe82Co18)85.5Ni1.5B9P3C1 alloys with Bs = 1.92 T.The new magnetic topology structure: the magnetic vortex structures and skyrmion-like configurations in ultrafine powders show the prospect of ultra-high-frequency applications (>100 MHz).Low-stress manufacturing: innovations such as ultrasonic rheoforming reduce compaction pressures by 99% (to 6.2 MPa), alleviating residual stress and improving SMC performance.In situ characterization: neutron scattering and grating-based imaging techniques enable real-time observation of domain dynamics under operational conditions (e.g., stress, magnetic fields).In conclusion, ordered modulation represents a paradigm shift in the design of soft magnetic material, linking atomic-scale interactions with macroscopic performance. By using multi-scale ordered structures and advanced manufacturing technologies, the next-generation amorphous-based materials are expected to revolutionize high-frequency power electronics, electric vehicles, and AI-driven systems. However, challenges in scalable production, cost-effective processing, and standardized evaluation must be addressed to accelerate industrial adoption.
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