Prediction of fully compensated ferrimagnetic spin-gapless semiconducting FeMnGa/Al/In half Heusler alloys

Abstract

Materials with full spin polarization that exhibit zero net magnetization attract great scientific interest because of their potential applications in spintronics. Here, the structural, magnetic and electronic properties of a C1b-ordered FeMnGa alloy are reported using first-principles calculations. The results indicate that the corresponding band structure exhibits a considerable gap in one of the spin channels and a zero gap in the other thus allowing for high mobility of fully spin-polarized carriers. The localized magnetic moments of Fe and Mn atoms have an antiparallel arrangement leading to fully compensated ferrimagnetism, which possesses broken magnetic inversion symmetry. Such magnetic systems do not produce dipole fields and are extremely stable against external magnetic fields. Therefore, this will improve the performance of spintronic devices. Using this principle, similar band dispersion and compensated magnetic moments were predicted in a C1b-ordered FeMnAl0.5In0.5 Heusler alloy.

Keywords

• FeMnGa
• Heusler alloys
• half-metallic fully compensated ferrimagnets
• spin-gapless semiconductors
• FeMn-based
• full spin polarization
• magnetic inversion symmetry