Isotropic spin polarization in Heusler Co2FeAl thin films

Qinwu Gao; Zhihao Li; Meiyang Ma; Jian Tu; Ruifeng Wang; Qi Liu; Zhendong Chen; Yilin Zhang; Yizhe Sun; Jiai Ning; Pengfei Yan; Yu Yan; Xianyang Lu; Xuezhong Ruan; Liang He; Yongbing Xu

doi:10.1063/5.0076246

AIP Advances (Feb 2022)

Isotropic spin polarization in Heusler Co2FeAl thin films

Qinwu Gao,
Zhihao Li,
Meiyang Ma,
Jian Tu,
Ruifeng Wang,
Qi Liu,
Zhendong Chen,
Yilin Zhang,
Yizhe Sun,
Jiai Ning,
Pengfei Yan,
Yu Yan,
Xianyang Lu,
Xuezhong Ruan,
Liang He,
Yongbing Xu

Affiliations

Qinwu Gao: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Zhihao Li: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Meiyang Ma: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Jian Tu: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Ruifeng Wang: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Qi Liu: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Zhendong Chen: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Yilin Zhang: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Yizhe Sun: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Jiai Ning: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Pengfei Yan: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Yu Yan: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Xianyang Lu: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Xuezhong Ruan: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Liang He: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
Yongbing Xu: National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0076246
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 2
pp. 025005 – 025005-6

Abstract

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Spin polarization and the Gilbert damping, as the two key parameters of the magnetic materials for spintronic applications, were suggested to be inversely proportional to each other in a series of Heusler alloys. Recently, large anisotropic Gilbert damping was found in Co2FeAl thin films, implying that spin polarization may be also anisotropic. Here, we report an isotropic spin polarization with a constant value of 60% in a 20-nm Co2FeAl thin film with a B2 structure, using spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect. Furthermore, this result was also supported by the ab initio calculations that the difference of the spin polarization between all the orientations is less than 1% for the Co2FeAl thin film. This finding provides profound insight into the spin polarization in Co2FeAl alloys.

Published in AIP Advances

ISSN: 2158-3226 (Online)
Publisher: AIP Publishing LLC
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Science: Physics
Website: http://aipadvances.aip.org/

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