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Electronic structure and magnetism of the Heusler alloy Co2MnSi1−xAlx

Xingtao Jia1, Wei Yang2, Minghui Qin3 and Lei Wang2

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We study the electronic structure and magnetic properties of equilibrated and distorted Co2MnSi1−xAlx using density-functional theory calculations. We find that equilibrated Co2MnSi shows true half-metallicity while Co2MnAl shows traditional ferromagnetism. The tensile stress deteriorates the half-metallicity of Co2MnSi, while it induces a transition from traditional ferromagnetism to true half-metallicity for Co2MnAl. The intermediate Co2MnSi1−xAlx alloys show compromise properties between pure Co2MnSi and Co2MnAl. Detailed studies show that the stretch stress enhances the splitting of the t2g orbital while it has little influence on the eg orbital for all Co2MnSi1−xAlx alloys. Finally, we deduced that graded heterostructural Co2MnSi1−xAlx alloys with Co2MnAl side epitaxial growth on silicon would keep high temperature half-metallicity throughout the heterostructure to the interface, and this may be a scheme to fulfil efficient spin injection into silicon.


PACS

71.20.Lp Intermetallic compounds

75.30.Kz Magnetic phase boundaries (including magnetic transitions, metamagnetism, etc.)

71.15.Mb Density functional theory, local density approximation, gradient and other corrections

75.50.Cc Other ferromagnetic metals and alloys

72.25.Mk Spin transport through interfaces

Subjects

Condensed matter: electrical, magnetic and optical

Dates

Issue 8 (21 April 2008)

Received 21 January 2008, in final form 19 February 2008

Published 20 March 2008



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