High Spin Magnetic Moments in All-3d-Metallic Co-Based Full Heusler Compounds.

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Quantum Chemistry

Background:

• Heusler compounds are a class of intermetallic materials with diverse magnetic and electronic properties.
• Exploring novel magnetic materials is crucial for advancing technologies like spintronics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate a new series of magnetic Heusler compounds composed entirely of 3d transition metals.
• To understand the electronic and magnetic properties of Co2YZ Heusler compounds with specific valence ordering (Co > Y > Z).

Main Methods:

• Ab-initio electronic structure calculations were performed.
• Density Functional Theory (DFT) was employed to model the material properties.
• The L21 crystal structure was considered for the compounds.

Main Results:

• A novel category of magnetic Heusler compounds with high spin magnetic moments was identified.
• A distinctive pseudogap in the minority-spin density of states at the Fermi level was observed.
• Slater-Pauling behavior was exhibited by most studied compounds due to the pseudogap.
• Co2FeMn showed the highest total spin magnetic moment, reaching 9 μB.

Conclusions:

• The investigated Co2YZ Heusler compounds are promising for spintronics and magnetoelectronics.
• The observed electronic structure and high magnetic moments suggest potential for novel device applications.
• Further research into these materials could lead to significant technological advancements.