Effect of doping and disorder on the half metallicity of full Heusler alloys

Heusler alloys containing Co and Mn are amongst the most heavily studied half metallic ferromagnets for future applications in spintronics. Using state-of-the-art electronic structure calculations, we investigate the effect of doping and disorder on their electronic and magnetic properties. Small degrees of doping by substituting Fe or Cr for Mn scarcely affect the half metallicity. A similar effect is also achieved by mixing the sublattices occupied by the Mn and sp atoms. Thus the half metallicity is a robust property of these alloys.

[1]  P. H. Dederichs,et al.  Electronic structure and Slater–Pauling behaviour in half-metallic Heusler alloys calculated from first principles , 2006 .

[2]  G. Fecher,et al.  Magnetic properties of Co2Mn1−xFexSi Heusler alloys , 2006 .

[3]  B. Aktaş,et al.  Search for half-metallic ferrimagnetism in V-based Heusler alloys Mn2VZ (Z = Al, Ga, In, Si, Ge, Sn) , 2005, cond-mat/0512361.

[4]  H. Zabel,et al.  Antiferromagnetic dipolar ordering in [Co2MnGe/V]N multilayers , 2005 .

[5]  Hitoshi Kubota,et al.  Huge Spin-Polarization of L21-Ordered Co2MnSi Epitaxial Heusler Alloy Film , 2005 .

[6]  H. Zabel,et al.  Element-specific characterization of the interface magnetism in [Co2MnGe/Au]n multilayers by x-ray resonant magnetic scattering , 2005 .

[7]  H. Zabel,et al.  Element-specific x-ray circular magnetic dichroism of Co2MnGe Heusler thin films , 2005 .

[8]  C. Adelmann,et al.  Spin injection from the Heusler alloy Co2MnGe into Al0.1Ga0.9As∕GaAs heterostructures , 2004, cond-mat/0410751.

[9]  G. Reiss,et al.  Interface structure and magnetism of magnetic tunnel junctions with a Co2MnSi electrode , 2004 .

[10]  A. Thomas,et al.  Co2MnSi Heusler alloy as magnetic electrodes in magnetic tunnel junctions , 2004 .

[11]  S. Sarma,et al.  Spintronics: Fundamentals and applications , 2004, cond-mat/0405528.

[12]  A. Freeman,et al.  Role of structural defects on the half-metallic character of Co 2 MnGe and Co 2 MnSi Heusler alloys , 2004 .

[13]  I. Galanakis.  Appearance of half-metallicity in the quaternary Heusler alloys , 2003, cond-mat/0305134.

[14]  N. Papanikolaou,et al.  Slater-Pauling behavior and origin of the half-metallicity of the full-Heusler alloys , 2002 .

[15]  Helmut Eschrig,et al.  FULL-POTENTIAL NONORTHOGONAL LOCAL-ORBITAL MINIMUM-BASIS BAND-STRUCTURE SCHEME , 1999 .

[16]  R. Hayn,et al.  Analytic properties and accuracy of the generalized Blackman-Esterling-Berk coherent-potential approximation , 1998 .

[17]  Shoji Ishida,et al.  Search for Half-Metallic Compounds in Co2MnZ (Z=IIIb, IVb, Vb Element) , 1995 .

[18]  K.H.J. Buschow,et al.  New Class of Materials: Half-Metallic Ferromagnets , 1983 .