Hall effect and electronic structure of films

Abstract Tunneling experiments have shown that in order to retain half-metallicity at room temperature not only a large gap is required but also a Fermi energy considerably distant from the minority band edges. We correlate the position of the Fermi energy in the spin minority gap obtained from band structure calculations to Hall effect experiments. As a model system we chose Co 2 Fe x Mn 1 - x Si , where the Fermi energy was calculated to move from the valence band edge of the minority states to the conduction band edge with increasing x . On high quality laser ablated epitaxial films we observe a sign change of both the normal and the anomalous Hall effect with doping. The experimental da…

Engineering half-Heusler thermoelectric materials using Zintl chemistry

In this Review, the structure, bonding and defects of half-Heusler compounds are explained in terms of the framework of Zintl (or valence-precise) chemistry. This deeper understanding of the structure and electronic properties of half-Heusler compounds should aid the design of improved thermoelectric materials.

Dysprosium-Based Ionic Liquid Crystals: Thermal, Structural, Photo- and Magnetophysical Properties

[C12mim]3[DyBr6] (C12mim = 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium) represents a new material with interesting luminescent behavior as well as mesomorphic and magnetic properties. The compound was found to show thermotropic liquid crystalline behavior and forms smectic mesophases which were investigated by hot-stage polarizing optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The emission color of [C12mim]3[DyBr6] can be tuned from white to orange-yellow by the choice of the excitation wavelength. Sample excitation with λex = 366 nm leads to the blue-whitish luminescence from the imidazolium cation itself. With λex = 254 nm the common Dy(III) emission is observed which mainly arises from the …

ChemInform Abstract: Metal-Metal Bonding and Metallic Behavior in Some ABO2 Delafossites.

We present results of ab initio band structure calculations on some ABO2 delafossite oxides that have both the A and B sites occupied by transition metals. This class of materials includes insulators as well as some of the most conducting oxides. The calculations have been performed in order to understand the nature of the metallic and insulating states and the extensive metal−metal bonding displayed by these materials. The effect of polytypism on the electronic structure is examined. Among the interesting aspects of the electronic structure of these materials are the contributions from both A and B atoms to states near the Fermi energy and the highly disperse nature of bands derived from t…

Comparison of two structures for transition-metal-based half Heusler alloys exhibiting fully compensated half metallicity

We search for new fully compensated half metals, in which only one electronic spin channel is conducting and there exists no net magnetic moment. We focus on half Heusler alloys and we examine the physical consequence of different crystal structures found in the literature for these compounds, XMnZ, with a transition metal element, such as Cr, Mn, and Fe for X and a nonmetallic element, such as P, Sb and Si for Z. The structures differ in the placement of voids in the L2$_1$ structure of the full Heulser alloy. One structure has the void at (1/4, 3/4, 1/4)a and the other places the void at (0.0, 0.0, 1/2)a. The first structure is expected to have greater d-p hybridization between Mn and the…

Giant Magnetoresistance in Rare Earth Compounds

Half-metallic ferromagnetism with high magnetic moment and high Curie temperature in Co$_2$FeSi

Co$_2$FeSi crystallizes in the ordered L2$_1$ structure as proved by X-ray diffraction and M\"o\ss bauer spectroscopy. The magnetic moment of Co$_2$FeSi was measured to be about $6\mu_B$ at 5K. Magnetic circular dichroism spectra excited by soft X-rays (XMCD) were taken to determine the element specific magnetic moments of Co and Fe. The Curie temperature was measured with different methods to be ($1100\pm20$)K. Co$_2$FeSi was found to be the Heusler compound as well as the half-metallic ferromagnet with the highest magnetic moment and Curie temperature.

Topological Insulators from a Chemist's Perspective

Topology and chemistry are deeply entangled subjects, whichmanifests in the way chemists like to think and approachproblems. Although not at first glance, topology allows thecategorizationoffundamentalinherentpropertiesofthehugenumber of different chemical compounds, carving out theunique features of a class of materials of different complexity,a topic which Turro worked out in his treatise on geometricaland topological thinking in chemistry.

Symmetry of valence states of Heusler compounds explored by linear dichroism in hard-x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

This study reports on the linear dichroism in angular-resolved photoemission from the valence band of the Heusler compounds ${\mathrm{NiTi}}_{0.9}{\mathrm{Sc}}_{0.1}\mathrm{Sn}$ and NiMnSb. High-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy was performed with an excitation energy of $h\ensuremath{\nu}=7.938\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{keV}$. The linear polarization of the photons was changed using an in-vacuum diamond phase retarder. The valence band spectra exhibit the typical structure expected from first-principles calculations of the electronic structure of these compounds. Noticeable linear dichroism is found in the valence band of both materials, and this allows for a symmetry analysis of the cont…

Hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of buried Heusler compounds

This work reports on high energy photoelectron spectroscopy from the valence band of buried Heusler thin films (Co2MnSi and Co2FeAl0.5Si0.5) excited by photons of about 6?keV energy. The measurements were performed on thin films covered by MgO and SiOx with different thicknesses from 1 to 20?nm of the insulating layer and additional AlOx or Ru protective layers. It is shown that the insulating layer does not affect the high energy spectra of the Heusler compound close to the Fermi energy. The high resolution measurements of the valence band close to the Fermi energy indicate a very large electron mean free path of the electrons through the insulating layer. The spectra of the buried thin fi…

Anomalous transport properties of the half-metallic ferromagnets Co 2 TiSi, Co 2 TiGe and Co 2 TiSn

In this work the theoretical and experimental investigations of Co2TiZ (Z = Si, Ge, or Sn) compounds are reported. Half-metallic ferromagnetism is predicted for all three compounds with only two bands crossing the Fermi energy in the majority channel. The magnetic moments fulfill the Slater-Pauling rule and the Curie temperatures are well above room temperature. All compounds show a metallic like resistivity for low temperatures up to their Curie temperature, above the resistivity changes to semiconducting like behavior. A large negative magnetoresistance of 55% is observed for Co2TiSn at room temperature in an applied magnetic field of 4T which is comparable to the large negative magnetore…

Properties of the quaternary half-metal-type Heusler alloyCo2Mn1−xFexSi

This paper reports on the bulk properties of the quaternary Heusler alloy Co2Mn1�xFexSi with the Fe concentration x =0,1/2,1. All samples, which were prepared by arc melting, exhibit L21 long-range order over the complete range of Fe concentration. The structural and magnetic properties of the Co2Mn1�xFexSi Heusler alloys were investigated by means of x-ray diffraction, high- and low-temperature magnetometry, Mossbauer spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. The electronic structure was explored by means of highenergy photoemission spectroscopy at about 8 keV photon energy. This ensures true bulk sensitivity of the measurements. The magnetization of the Fe-doped Heusler alloys …

Thermomagnetic Materials: Thermomagnetic Properties Improved by Self-Organized Flower-Like Phase Separation of Ferromagnetic Co2Dy0.5Mn0.5Sn (Adv. Funct. Mater. 9/2012)

High energy, high resolution photoelectron spectroscopy of Co2Mn(1-x)Fe(x)Si

This work reports on high resolution photoelectron spectroscopy for the valence band of Co2Mn(1-x)Fe(x)Si (x=0,0.5,1) excited by photons of about 8 keV energy. The measurements show a good agreement to calculations of the electronic structure using the LDA+U scheme. It is shown that the high energy spectra reveal the bulk electronic structure better compared to low energy XPS spectra. The high resolution measurements of the valence band close to the Fermi energy indicate the existence of the gap in the minority states for all three alloys.

The Electronic Structure of Hexagonal BaCoO3

Abstract TB–LMTO–ASA band structure calculations within the local spin density approximation have been performed to explain the magnetic and transport properties of BaCoO3. The calculations predict a magnetic and metallic ground state as energetically favored. BaCoO3 shows no long-range magnetic ordering, however, and only poor conductivity. The magnetic energy is low and the compound shows glassy susceptibility behavior at low temperatures. From the band structure we find Mott–Hubbard localization to be unlikely, and instead propose Anderson localization as a possible origin of the observed behavior. Calculations on slightly distorted structures exclude the possibility of a Peierls distort…

Theoretical Study on the Diffusion Mechanism of Cd in the Cu-Poor Phase of CuInSe2 Solar Cell Material

We have employed first-principles static and molecular dynamics (MD) calculations with semilocal and screened-exchange hybrid density functionals to study the diffusion of Cd in bulk CuIn5Se8, a copper-poor ordered vacancy compound of CuInSe2. The diffusion mechanism and the underlying kinetics/energetics were investigated by combining ab initio metadynamics simulations and nudged elastic band (NEB) calculations. We found that the migration of Cd occurs via a kick-out of Cu atoms, assisted by the pristine vacancies that are constitutive of this compound, and follows a double-hump energy profile. The rate-limiting step has a barrier of about 1 eV at 0 K but reduces to 0.3 eV at 850 K, pointi…

Thermoelectric properties of CoTiSb based compounds

Several CoTiSb based compounds were synthesized and investigated on their thermoelectric properties. The aim was to improve the thermoelectric properties of CoTiSb by the systematic substitution of atoms or the introduction of additional Co into the vacant sublattice. The solid solutions Co1+xTiSb, Co1?yCuyTiSb and CoTiSb1?zBiz were synthesized. X-ray diffraction was used to investigate the crystal structure. The resistivity, the Seebeck coefficient and the thermal conductivity were determined for all compounds in the temperature range from 2 to 400?K. The highest figure of merit for each solid solution is presented. We were able to improve the figure of merit by a factor of approximately s…

Half-metallic compensated ferrimagnetism with a tunable compensation point over a wide temperature range in the Mn-Fe-V-Al Heusler system

The cubic Heusler compound Mn1.5FeV0.5Al with the L21 Heusler structure is the first fully compensated half-metallic ferrimagnet with 24 valence electrons. The ferrimagnetic state can be tuned by changing the composition such that the compensation point appears at finite temperatures ranging from 0 K up to 226 K, while retaining half-metallicity in the system. In this paper, the structural, magnetic and transport properties of the Mn-Fe-V-Al system are discussed. Magnetic reversal and a change of sign of the anomalous Hall effect were observed at the compensation point, which gives rise to a sublattice spin-crossing. These materials present new possibilities for potential spintronic devices…

Multi-temperature synchrotron PXRD and physical properties study of half-Heusler TiCoSb.

Phase pure samples of the half-Heusler material TiCoSb were synthesised and investigated. Multi-temperature synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) data measured between 90 and 1000 K in atmospheric air confirm the phase purity, but they also reveal a decomposition reaction starting at around 750 K. This affects the high temperature properties since TiCoSb is semiconducting, whereas CoSb is metallic. Between 90 K and 300 K the linear thermal expansion coefficient is estimated to be 10.5 × 10(-6) K(-1), while it is 8.49 10(-6) K(-1) between 550 K and 1000 K. A fit of a Debye model to the Atomic Displacement Parameters obtained from Rietveld refinement of the PXRD data gives a Debye tempe…

Giant magnetoresistance in semiconducting DyNiBi

Abstract The semiconducting half-Heulser compound DyNiBi shows a negative giant magnetoresistance (GMR) below 200 K. Except for a weak deviation, this magnetoresistance scales roughly with the square of the magnetization in the paramagnetic state, and is related to the metal–insulator transition. At low temperature, a positive magnetoresistance is found, which can be suppressed by high fields. The magnitude of the positive magnetoresistance changes slightly with the amount of impurity phase.

Magnetic transitions in double perovskiteSr2FeRe1−xSbxO6(0⩽x⩽0.9)

The double perovskites ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}\mathrm{Fe}M{\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ $(M=\mathrm{Re},\mathrm{Mo})$ belong to the important class of half-metallic magnetic materials. In this study we explore the effect of replacing the electronic $5d$ buffer element Re with variable valency by the main group element Sb with fixed valency. X-ray diffraction reveals ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{FeRe}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{x}{\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ $(0lxl0.9)$ to crystallize without antisite disorder in the tetragonally distorted perovskite structure (space group $I4∕mmm$). The ferrimagnetic behavior of the parent compound ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{FeReO}}_{6}$ changes to antiferromagnetic upon Sb subst…

Quaternary Heusler Compounds without Inversion Symmetry: CoFe 1+ x Ti 1– x Al and CoMn 1+ x V 1– x Al

We report the quaternary Heusler compound derivatives CoFe1+xTi1–xAl and CoMn1+xV1–xAl, which do not have centers of inversion. Classical T2T′M (T, T′ = transition metal, M = main group element) Heusler compounds (prototype: Cu2MnAl) crystallize in the L21 structure, space group Fmm (225) that exhibits a center of inversion. Replacing one of the T2 atoms by another transition element (T″) results in a quaternary TT′T″M compound with F3m symmetry (Y; structure type LiMgPdSn) without center of inversion. In the case of “quasi closed shell” compounds with 24 valence electrons in the primitive cell, one expects the absence of ferromagnetism according to the Slater–Pauling rule. Increasing the n…

Structure and properties of CoMnSb in the context of half-metallic ferromagnetism

Although its X-ray powder diffraction patterns show a superstructure, the compound CoMnSb, like the well-known half-Heusler alloy NiMnSb, is often referred to the category of half-metallic ferromagnets with $C{1}_{b}$ structure. Our study assigns CoMnSb to space group $Fm\overline{3}m$. The crystal structure of CoMnSb can be represented as an alternation of ${\mathrm{Co}}_{2}\mathrm{Mn}\mathrm{Sb}$ and MnSb structural units, and, in contrast to NiMnSb, displays three Mn and two Sb positions in the elementary cell. The presence of nonequivalent antimony and manganese positions was verified using NMR and M\"ossbauer spectroscopic measurements. Band-structure calculations based on a proposed s…

Structure and superconductivity in LnNi2B2C: comparison of calculation and experiment

Abstract The experimental relation between the superconducting transition temperature ( T c ) and lattice size for the lanthanide nickel borocarbides is clarified. The electronic density of states (DOS) at the Fermi energy is calculated by the LMTO method for selected non-magnetic lanthanides. The T c and the DOS are both shown to scale in the same way with a structural parameter that characterizes the bond angle in the NiB 4 tetrahedra. The results strongly support arguments that the suppression of superconductivity on going from smaller to larger lanthanides in the quaternary nickel borocarbides is structurally driven. A structure– T c relationship of this type is unusual for intermetalli…

Itinerant half-metallic ferromagnetsCo2TiZ(Z=Si, Ge, Sn):Ab initiocalculations and measurement of the electronic structure and transport properties

This work reports on ab initio calculations and experiments on the half-metallic ferromagnetic Heusler compounds ${\text{Co}}_{2}\text{Ti}Z$ $(Z=\text{Si},\text{ }\text{Ge},\text{ }\text{Sn})$. Aim is a comprehensive study of the electronic-structure and thermoelectric properties. The impact of the variation in the main group element $Z$ on those properties is discussed. X-ray diffraction was performed on the compounds and the lattice parameters are compared to other ${\text{Co}}_{2}$-based compounds. Hard x-ray photoemission measurements were carried out and the results are compared to the calculated electronic structure. The experimentally determined electronic structure, magnetic propert…

Electronic and Magnetic Properties of Li<sub>1.5</sub>Mn<sub>0.5</sub>As Alloys in the Cu<sub>2</sub>Sb Structure

We investigated two formula-units of Li1.5Mn0.5As alloys, such as Li3MnAs2, in the Cu2Sb crystal structure using an ab-initio algorithm. By interchanging Mn with each Li located at different positions of the Li4As2unit cell, four separate alloys are formed. At the optimized lattice constant, two of these alloys are predicted to be ferromagnetic metals and the other two are half metals. The possibility of half metallicity in the first two is also explored. Both the modified Slater-Pauling-Kübler rule and the ionic model can characterize the magnetic moments of the half metals.

Physical vapor deposition of Bi2S3 as absorber material in thin film photovoltaics

Abstract In order to investigate alternative absorber materials for inorganic solar cells, thin films of bismuth trisulfide (Bi2S3) were deposited under high vacuum conditions by the thermal evaporation method from compound material. The effects of the substrate temperature during deposition on the structural, stoichiometric, optical and electrical properties were investigated. Polycrystalline thin films close to an ideal stoichiometry could be deposited for temperatures TSub = 80–290 °C; thereby a transition from rough needle-shaped particles with (hk0)-orientation parallel to the surface of the substrate towards block shaped grains with a preferred direction out of the surface could be ob…

Verwey-type transition in EuNiP

High temperature 151Eu Mossbauer measurements provide proof for inhomogeneous mixed-valent behaviour in EuNiP. We observed that EuNiP undergoes a Verwey-type charge delocalisation transition when heated above 470 K prior to the structural γ-β phase transition at T ≈ 510 K. This finding confirms the results of photoemission spectroscopy in the isostructural compound EuPdP and of TB-LMTO-ASA band structure calculations. We discuss the role of a van Hove singularity associated with a high density of 4f states close to the Fermi energy in inhomogeneous mixed europium valency, and the microscopic mechanism of γ-β phase transition in compounds analogous to EuNiP.

Giant magnetoresistance and extraordinary magnetoresistance in inhomogeneous semiconducting DyNiBi

The semiconducting half-Heulser compound DyNiBi shows a negative giant magnetoresistance (GMR) below 200 K. Except for a weak deviation, this magnetoresistance scales roughly with the square of the magnetization in the paramagnetic state, and is related to the metal-insulator transition. At low temperature, a positive magnetoresistance is found, which can be suppressed by high fields. The magnitude of the positive magnetoresistance changes slightly with the amount of impurity phase.

Magnetic Heusler Compounds

Abstract Heusler compounds are a remarkable class of intermetallic materials with 1:1:1 (often called Half-Heusler) or 2:1:1 composition comprising more than 1500 members. New properties and potential fields of applications emerge constantly; the prediction of topological insulators is the most recent example. Surprisingly, the properties of many Heusler compounds can easily be predicted by the valence electron count or within a rigid band approach. The wide range of the multifunctional properties of Heusler compounds is reflected in extraordinary magnetooptical, magnetoelectronic, and magnetocaloric properties. Co 2 -Heusler compounds are predicted and proven half-metallic ferromagnets sho…

Dysprosium room-temperature ionic liquids with strong luminescence and response to magnetic fields.

New binary antimonide Hf5Sb3

Abstract Hf5Sb3 can be prepared by arc-melting of hafnium and previously synthesized HfSb2. It crystallizes like the high-temperature modification of Zr5Sb3 in the Y5Bi3 structure type, space group Pnma, Z=4, a=740.75(9) pm, b=871.8(1) pm, c=1073.6(1) pm, V=693.3(1) 106pm3. An antimonide analogous to the low-temperature form of Zr5Sb3 was not obtained during our investigations. In the structure of Hf5Sb3, the Hf atoms form a three-dimensional network with numerous short Hf–Hf contacts, including the Sb atoms in severely distorted two- and three-capped trigonal prismatic voids. Calculations of the electronic structure, performed with the extended Huckel approximation as well as the TB-LMTO-A…

Direct observation of half-metallicity in the Heusler compound $Co_{2}MnSi$

Ferromagnetic thin films of Heusler compounds are highly relevant for spintronic applications owing to their predicted half-metallicity, that is, 100% spin polarization at the Fermi energy. However, experimental evidence for this property is scarce. Here we investigate epitaxial thin films of the compound Co2MnSi in situ by ultraviolet-photoemission spectroscopy, taking advantage of a novel multi-channel spin filter. By this surface sensitive method, an exceptionally large spin polarization of () % at room temperature is observed directly. As a more bulk sensitive method, additional ex situ spin-integrated high energy X-ray photoemission spectroscopy experiments are performed. All experimen…

First-principles investigation of the bulk and low-index surfaces ofMoSe2

In the framework of density functional theory, the geometry, electronic structure, and magnetic properties of the bulk and low index surfaces of $\mathrm{Mo}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ have been studied. We have carried out calculations with various exchange-correlation functionals to select one which is able to describe the van der Waals (vdW) interactions and gives the best geometry compared with experiments. The inclusion of the vdW forces, however, does not guarantee a reliable description for the geometry of this compound: some vdW functionals strongly overestimate the interlayer distance, similar to GGA functionals. Our investigation shows that the recently introduced optB86b-vdW functional yi…

Covalent bonding and the nature of band gaps in some half-Heusler compounds

Half-Heusler compounds \textit{XYZ}, also called semi-Heusler compounds, crystallize in the MgAgAs structure, in the space group $F\bar43m$. We report a systematic examination of band gaps and the nature (covalent or ionic) of bonding in semiconducting 8- and 18- electron half-Heusler compounds through first-principles density functional calculations. We find the most appropriate description of these compounds from the viewpoint of electronic structures is one of a \textit{YZ} zinc blende lattice stuffed by the \textit{X} ion. Simple valence rules are obeyed for bonding in the 8-electron compound. For example, LiMgN can be written Li$^+$ + (MgN)$^-$, and (MgN)$^-$, which is isoelectronic wi…

Disentangling the Mn moments on different sublattices in the half-metallic ferrimagnet Mn3−xCoxGa

Ferrimagnetic Mn3−xCoxGa compounds have been investigated by magnetic circular dichroism in x-ray absorption (XMCD). Compounds with x>0.5 crystallize in the CuHg2Ti structure. A tetragonal distortion of the cubic structure occurs for x≤0.5. For the cubic phase, magnetometry reveals a linearly increasing magnetization of 2x Bohr magnetons per formula unit obeying the generalized Slater–Pauling rule. XMCD confirms the ferrimagnetic character with Mn atoms occupying two different sublattices with antiparallel spin orientation and different degrees of spin localization and identifies the region 0.6<x≤0.8 as most promising for a high spin polarization at the Fermi level. Individual Mn moments on…

Completely compensated ferrimagnetism and sublattice spin crossing in the half-metallic Heusler compoundMn1.5FeV0.5Al

The Slater-Pauling rule states that $L{2}_{1}$ Heusler compounds with 24 valence electrons never exhibit a total spin magnetic moment. In the case of strongly localized magnetic moments at one of the atoms (here Mn) they will exhibit a fully compensated half-metallic ferrimagnetic state instead, in particular, when symmetry does not allow for antiferromagnetic order. With the aid of magnetic and anomalous Hall effect measurements, it is experimentally demonstrated that ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{1.5}{\mathrm{V}}_{0.5}\mathrm{FeAl}$ follows such a scenario. The ferrimagnetic state is tuned by the composition. A small residual magnetization, which arises due to a slight mismatch of the magnetic moments …

Incorporation of Li dopant into Cu2ZnSnSe4 photovoltaic absorber: hybrid-functional calculations

We have studied the formation of Li extrinsic defects in CuZnSnSe by first-principles hybrid functional calculations. Li atoms in the Cu site (Li) and Li atoms in the Se site (Li) are the most and the least stable point defect, respectively. The formation energies of two Li interstitial defects with different numbers of nearest neighbors are the same. These interstitial point defects act as a donor but do not create gap states. Formation of the acceptor point defects (Li and Li) is less likely in p-type CuZnSnSe compared with n-type CuZnSnSe. In contrast to Li which does not create gap states, the formation of Li creates two charge transition levels in the middle of the bandgap which might …

Dünne epitaktische Filme der Heusler-Phase Co2Cr0,6Fe0,4Al

Metal valence states inEu0.7NbO3,EuNbO3,andEu2Nb5O9by TB-LMTO-ASA band-structure calculations and resonant photoemission spectroscopy

The electronic structures of ${\mathrm{Eu}}_{2}{\mathrm{Nb}}_{5}{\mathrm{O}}_{9},$ ${\mathrm{EuNbO}}_{3},$ and ${\mathrm{Eu}}_{0.7}{\mathrm{NbO}}_{3}$ have been investigated by photoemission and total-yield spectroscopy with synchrotron radiation, and in the case of ${\mathrm{Eu}}_{2}{\mathrm{Nb}}_{5}{\mathrm{O}}_{9}$ by tight-binding linear muffin-tin orbital (LMTO) band-structure calculations. A central question for reduced europium niobates is that of the valence of Eu and Nb. Both europium and niobium atoms can appear in different valence states so that various electronic configurations in the title compounds are possible. For this reason, the valence band was studied by the resonant Eu…

Pressure induced insulator/half-metal/metal transition in a strongly correlatedp-electron system

Mixed-valent Rb${}_{4}$O${}_{6}$ provides an exceptional prototype material for studying the interplay between local correlations (Hubbard $U$) and electron kinetic energy ($W$) in the open $sp$-electron shell. Based on a first-principles calculation we show that depending on $U/W$ ratio, when tuned by external pressure, Rb${}_{4}$O${}_{6}$ exhibits a surprising sequence of phase transitions between strongly correlated antiferromagnetic insulator, ferromagnetic insulator ($U/W\phantom{\rule{-0.16em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\gg}\phantom{\rule{-0.16em}{0ex}}1$), moderately correlated ferromagnetic half-metal ($U/W\phantom{\rule{-0.16em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\sim}\phantom{\rule{-0.16em}{0ex}}1$), and fin…

Ferromagnetic ordering in GdPdCd

Abstract GdPdCd was obtained in pure form via reaction of the elements in a sealed tantalum tube in a high-frequency furnace. The structure was investigated by X-ray diffraction on both powders and single crystals: ZrNiAl type, P 6 2m , a=758.2(1), c=391.78(7) pm, wR2=0.0410 for 358 F2 values and 14 variables. Striking structural motifs of GdPdCd are two types of palladium-centered tricapped trigonal prisms [Pd1Cd3Gd6] and [Pd2Cd6Gd3]. Together the palladium and cadmium atoms build a three-dimensional network in which the gadolinium atoms fill distorted pentagonal channels. Susceptibility measurements reveal Curie–Weiss behaviour with an effective magnetic moment of 8.2(1) μB/Gd. GdPdCd ord…

Localized magnetic moments in the Heusler alloy Rh2MnGe

X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) of core-level absorption (x-ray absorption spectroscopy, XAS) spectra in the soft x-ray region has been measured for the ferromagnetic Heusler alloy Rh2MnGe at the Rh M3,2 and Mn L3,2 edges. The ratio of Rh and Mn spin moments amounts to 0.05 which is smaller than the ratio of 0.1 determined by a local density approximation electronic band structure calculation. We have found that the orbital moments of the Rh 4d and Mn 3d states are very small. The observed Rh 2p XAS spectrum can be understood on the basis of the Rh 3d partial density of unoccupied states as is typical for metals. The observed features of the Mn 2p XAS and XMCD spectra are dominated…

Challenge of magnetism in strongly correlated open-shell 2p systems.

We report on theoretical investigations of the exotic magnetism in rubidium sesquioxide ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{4}{\mathrm{O}}_{6}$, a model correlated system with an open $2p$ shell. Experimental investigations indicated that ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{4}{\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ is a magnetically frustrated insulator. The frustration is explained here by electronic structure calculations that incorporate the correlation between the oxygen $2p$ electrons and deal with the mixed-valent oxygen. This leads to a physical picture where the symmetry is reduced because one third of the oxygen in ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{4}{\mathrm{O}}_{6}$ is nonmagnetic while the remaining two thirds assemble in antiferromagnetic arrangements. A d…

The half-metallic ferromagnet

Abstract Electronic structure calculation were used to predict a new material for spintronic applications. Co 2 Mn 0.5 Fe 0.5 Si is one example which is stable against on-site correlation and disorder effects due to the position of the Fermi energy in the middle of the minority band gap. Experimentally the sample were made exhibiting L 2 1 structure and a high magnetic order.

Ni-based superconductor: Heusler compoundZrNi2Ga

This work reports on the novel Heusler superconductor ZrNi2Ga. Compared to other nickel-based superconductors with Heusler structure, ZrNi2Ga exhibits a relatively high superconducting transition temperature of Tc=2.9 K and an upper critical field of 1.5 T. Electronic structure calculations show that this relatively high transition temperature is caused by a van Hove singularity, which leads to an enhanced density of states at the Fermi energy. The van Hove singularity originates from a higher order valence instability at the L-point in the electronic structure. The enhanced density of states at the Fermi level was confirmed by specific heat and susceptibility measurements. Although many He…

Electronic structure of large disc-type donors and acceptors

Searching for new pi-conjugated charge-transfer systems, the electronic structure of a new acceptor-donor pair derived from coronene (C(24)H(12)) was investigated by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). The acceptor coronene-hexaone (C(24)H(6)O(6), in the following abbreviated as COHON) and the donor hexamethoxycoronene (C(30)H(24)O(6), abbreviated as HMC) were adsorbed as pure and mixed phases on gold substrates. At low coverage, COHON adsorption leads to the appearance of a charge-transfer induced interface state 1.75 eV below the Fermi energy. At multilayer coverage the photoemission intensity of the interface state drops and the valence spectrum of neutral COHON appears. The sa…

Topological Insulators from a Chemist’s Perspective

Topology and chemistry are deeply entangled subjects, whichmanifests in the way chemists like to think and approachproblems. Although not at first glance, topology allows thecategorizationoffundamentalinherentpropertiesofthehugenumber of different chemical compounds, carving out theunique features of a class of materials of different complexity,a topic which Turro worked out in his treatise on geometricaland topological thinking in chemistry.

Structure-property relations in the distorted ordered double perovskite Sr2InReO6

The rock-salt ordered type double perovskite Sr${}_{2}$InReO${}_{6}$ is systematically investigated by means of powder x-ray diffraction, neutron powder diffraction, temperature-dependent electrical transport, heat capacity and magnetic susceptibility measurements, and electronic band structure calculations. The crystal structure of Sr${}_{2}$InReO${}_{6}$ is revised to be monoclinic (cryolite structure type, space group $P$2${}_{1}$/$n$) with all structural distortions according to the high-symmetry aristotype due to tilting of the InO${}_{6}$ and ReO${}_{6}$ octahedra, respectively. Sr${}_{2}$InReO${}_{6}$ is a Mott insulator with variable-range hopping. Two 5$d$ electrons are unpaired an…

Crystal Structure of New Heusler Compounds

Heusler compounds are promising materials in many fields of contemporary research. The spectrum of their possible applications ranges from magnetic and magneto-mechanical materials over semiconductors and thermoelectrics to superconductors. An important feature of the Heusler compounds is the possibility of controlling the valence electron concentration by partial substitution of elements. On the other hand, the properties also depend on the degree of ordering of the the crystal structure. In general, Heusler compounds crystallize in the Cu2MnAl-type structure but in many cases certain types of disorder are observed. In this paper a detailed description of the different types of disordered …

Electronic transport properties of electron- and hole-doped semiconductingC1bHeusler compounds:NiTi1−xMxSn(M=Sc,V)

The substitutional series of Heusler compounds ${\text{NiTi}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{M}_{x}\text{Sn}$ (where $M=\text{Sc},\text{V}$ and $0lx\ensuremath{\le}0.2$) were synthesized and investigated with respect to their electronic structure and transport properties. The results show the possibility to create $n$-type and $p$-type thermoelectrics within one Heusler compound. The electronic structure and transport properties were calculated by all-electron ab initio methods and compared to the measurements. Hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was carried out and the results are compared to the calculated electronic structure. Pure NiTiSn exhibits massive ``in gap'' states containing about 0.1 ele…

Spin-resolved low-energy and hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of off-stoichiometric Co2MnSi Heusler thin films exhibiting a record TMR

Half-metallic Co2MnSi-based Heusler compounds have attracted attention because they yield very high tunnelling magnetoresistance (TMR) ratios. Record TMR ratios of 1995% (at 4.2 K) are obtained from off-stoichiometric Co2MnSi-based magnetic tunnel junctions. This work reports on a combination of band structure calculations and spin-resolved and photon-polarisation-dependent photoelectron spectroscopy for off-stoichiometric Heusler thin films with the composition Co2Mn1.30Si0.84. Co and Mn are probed by magnetic dichroism in angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy at the 2p core level. In contrast to the delocalised Co 3d states, a pronounced localisation of the Mn 3d states is deduced fro…

Semiconducting half-Heusler and LiGaGe structure type compounds

Compounds with LiAlSi (half-Heusler) and LiGaGe structure types have been investigated by means of band structure calculations. The LiAlSi structure type is known as the half-Heusler structure type, whereas LiGaGe is a closely related hexagonal variant. A remarkable feature of some XYZ half-Heusler compounds with 8 and 18 valence electrons is, that despite being composed of only metallic elements, they are semiconductors. More than 100 semiconducting compounds within these structure types are known. LiGaGe compounds have an additional degree of freedom, namely the degree of puckering of the layers. These compounds can become semiconducting at a certain degree of puckering. Half-metallic beh…

Electronic and crystallographic structure, hard x-ray photoemission, and mechanical and transport properties of the half-metallic Heusler compound Co2MnGe

This work reports on the electronic and crystalline structure and the mechanical, magnetic, and transport properties of the polycrystalline Heusler compound Co${}_{2}$MnGe. The crystalline structure was examined in detail by extended x-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy and anomalous x-ray diffraction. The compound exhibits a well-ordered $L{2}_{1}$ structure as is typical for Heusler compounds with 2:1:1 stoichiometry. The low-temperature magnetic moment agrees well with the Slater-Pauling rule and indicates a half-metallic ferromagnetic state of the compound, as is predicted by ab initiocalculations. Transport measurements and hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were performed t…

Slater-Pauling Rule and Curie-Temperature of Co$_2$-based Heusler compounds

A concept is presented serving to guide in the search for new materials with high spin polarization. It is shown that the magnetic moment of half-metallic ferromagnets can be calculated from the generalized Slater-Pauling rule. Further, it was found empirically that the Curie temperature of Co$_2$ based Heusler compounds can be estimated from a seemingly linear dependence on the magnetic moment. As a successful application of these simple rules, it was found that Co$_2$FeSi is, actually, the half-metallic ferromagnet exhibiting the highest magnetic moment and the highest Curie temperature measured for a Heusler compound.

Structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of tetragonalMn3−xGa: Experiments and first-principles calculations

This work reports on the electronic, magnetic, and structural properties of the binary intermetallic compounds ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{3\ensuremath{-}x}\mathrm{Ga}$. The tetragonal ${\mathrm{DO}}_{22}$ phase of the ${\mathrm{Mn}}_{3\ensuremath{-}x}\mathrm{Ga}$ series, with $x$ varying from 0 to 1.0 in steps of $x=0.1$, was successfully synthesized and investigated. It was found that all these materials are hard magnetic, with energy products ranging from $10.1\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{kJ}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{m}}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$ for low Mn content $(x\ensuremath{\rightarrow}1)$ to $61.6\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{kJ}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{m}}^{\ensurema…

Element-specific magnetic moments from core-absorption magnetic circular dichroism of the doped Heusler alloyCo2Cr0.6Fe0.4Al

The magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) of core-level absorption (x-ray absorption spectroscopy, XAS) spectra in the soft x-ray region has been measured for the ferromagnetic Heusler alloy ${\mathrm{Co}}_{2}{\mathrm{Cr}}_{0.6}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{0.4}\mathrm{Al}$ at the Co, Fe, and Cr ${L}_{II,III}$ edges. The comparison of XAS spectra before and after in situ cleaning of polished surfaces revealed a pronounced selective oxidation of Cr in air. For clean surfaces we observed a MCD for all three elements with Fe showing the largest moment per atom. The MCD can be explained by the density of states of the $3d$ unoccupied states, predicted by linear muffin-tin orbital atomic sphere approximation. For …

Half-Heusler compounds: novel materials for energy and spintronic applications

Half-Heusler compounds are an impressive class of materials with a huge potential for different applications such as future energy applications and for spintronics. The semiconducting Heusler compounds can be identified by the number of valence electrons. The band gap can be tuned between 0 and 4 eV by the electronegativity difference of the constituents. Magnetism can be introduced in these compounds by using rare-earth elements, manganese or ‘electron’ doping. Thus, there is a great interest in the fields of thermoelectrics, solar cells and diluted magnetic semiconductors. The combination of different properties such as superconductivity and topological edge states leads to new multifunct…

Geometric, electronic, and magnetic structure of Co$_2$FeSi: Curie temperature and magnetic moment measurements and calculations

In this work a simple concept was used for a systematic search for new materials with high spin polarization. It is based on two semi-empirical models. Firstly, the Slater-Pauling rule was used for estimation of the magnetic moment. This model is well supported by electronic structure calculations. The second model was found particularly for Co$_2$ based Heusler compounds when comparing their magnetic properties. It turned out that these compounds exhibit seemingly a linear dependence of the Curie temperature as function of the magnetic moment. Stimulated by these models, Co$_2$FeSi was revisited. The compound was investigated in detail concerning its geometrical and magnetic structure by m…

Structure and Properties of YbZnSn, YbAgSn, and Yb2Pt2Pb

Abstract YbZnSn, YbAgSn, and Yb2Pt2Pb were synthesized by reacting the elements in sealed tantalum tubes in a high-frequency furnace. The structures of YbAgSn and Yb2Pt2Pb were refined from single crystal X-ray data: YbAgPb type, P 6 m2, a=479.2(2) pm, c=1087.3(3) pm, wR2=0.050, BASF=0.34(8), 509 F2 values, 18 variables for YbAgSn and Er2Au2Sn type, a=776.0(1) pm, c=701.8(2) pm, wR2=0.072, 426 F2 values, 18 variables for Yb2Pt2Pb. The lattice constants of YbZnSn are confirmed: NdPtSb type, P63mc, a=464.7(1) pm, c=747.7(2) pm. The stannides YbZnSn and YbAgSn crystallize with superstructures of the AlB2 type. The zinc (silver) and tin atoms form ordered Zn3Sn3 and Ag3Sn3 hexagons, respectivel…

Cluster issue on Heusler compounds and devices

Charge transfer and tunable minority band gap at the Fermi energy of a quaternaryCo2(MnxTi1−x)GeHeusler alloy

We investigate the distribution of element-specific magnetic moments and changes in the spin-resolved unoccupied density of states in a series of half-metallic ${\text{Co}}_{2}({\text{Mn}}_{x}{\text{Ti}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x})\text{Ge}$ Heusler alloys using x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. The Co and Mn magnetic moments are oriented parallel while a small Ti moment shows antiparallel to the mean magnetization. The element-specific magnetic moments remain almost independent on the composition. Therefore, a replacement of Ti by Mn results in an increase in magnetization. The increase in magnetization with increasing $x$ follows the Slater-Pauling rule. The Fermi level decreases with respect to…

Enhanced thermoelectric performance in the p-type half-Heusler (Ti/Zr/Hf)CoSb0.8Sn0.2 system via phase separation

A novel approach for optimization of the thermoelectric properties of p-type Heusler compounds with a C1b structure was investigated. A successful recipe for achieving intrinsic phase separation in the n-type material based on the TiNiSn system is isoelectronic partial substitution of Ti with its heavier homologues Zr and Hf. We applied this concept to the p-type system MCoSb0.8Sn0.2 by a systematic investigation of samples with different compositions at the Ti position (M = Ti, Zr, Hf, Ti0.5Zr0.5, Zr0.5Hf0.5, and Ti0.5Hf0.5). We thus achieved an approximately 40% reduction of the thermal conductivity and a maximum figure of merit ZT of 0.9 at 700 °C. This is a 80% improvement in peak ZT fr…

Strong reduction of the Korringa relaxation in the spin-density wave regime ofEuFe2As2observed by electron spin resonance

Electron spin resonance measurements in ${\text{EuFe}}_{2}{\text{As}}_{2}$ single crystals revealed an absorption spectrum of a single resonance with Dysonian line shape. Above the spin-density wave (SDW) transition at ${T}_{\text{SDW}}=190\text{ }\text{K}$ the spectra are isotropic and the Eu spins relax via the conduction electrons resulting in a Korringa-type increase in the linewidth. Below ${T}_{\text{SDW}}$, a distinct anisotropy develops and the relaxation behavior of the Eu spins changes drastically into one with characteristic properties of a magnetic insulating system, where dipolar and crystal-field interactions dominate. This indicates a spatial confinement of the conduction ele…

Correlation in the transition metal based Heusler compounds Co$_2$MnSi and Co$_2$FeSi

Half-metallic ferromagnets like the full Heusler compounds with formula X$_2$YZ are supposed to show an integer value of the spin magnetic moment. Calculations reveal in certain cases of X = Co based compounds non-integer values, in contrast to experiments. In order to explain deviations of the magnetic moment calculated for such compounds, the dependency of the electronic structure on the lattice parameter was studied theoretically. In local density approximation (LDA), the minimum total energy of Co$_2$FeSi is found for the experimental lattice parameter, but the calculated magnetic moment is about 12% too low. Half-metallic ferromagnetism and a magnetic moment equal to the experimental v…

Charge transfer in the novel donor-acceptor complexes tetra- and hexamethoxypyrene with tetracyanoquinodimethane studied by HAXPES

Abstract The effect of charge transfer (CT) in complexes of the donors tetra - and hexamethoxyprene ( TMP and HMP ) with the classical acceptor tetracyanoquinodimethane ( TCNQ ) was studied using hard X-ray photoemission (HAXPES). Microcrystals of the complex were grown via vapour diffusion from donor–acceptor mixtures. The bulk sensitivity of HAXPES at a photon energy of 6 keV completely eliminates the problem of surface contamination for such delicate organic materials grown from solution. The donor molecules were produced using a novel synthesis route functionalizing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at their periphery. For comparison, spectra were also taken from thin-film samples of the…

Magnetization and magnetoresistive response of LiMn2O4 near the charge ordering transition

We report magnetization and magnetoresistance studies of the geometrically frustrated spinel compound LiMn2O4 near its charge ordering temperature. The effect of a 7 T magnetic field is to very slightly shift the transition in the resistivity to lower temperatures resulting in large negative magnetoresistance with significant hysteresis. This hysteresis is not reflected in the magnetization. These observations are compared with what is found in the colossal magnetoresistance and charge ordering perovskite manganese oxides. The manner in which geometric frustration influences the coupling of charge and spin degrees of freedom is examined.

Spin polarization of magnetoresistive materials by point contact spectroscopy

In the strive to find a straightforward method for determining the spin polarization, the analysis of the Andreev reflection process in point contact junctions has attracted much interest. However, the prerequisite for anevaluation of the transport spin polarization in this scheme is the existence of elastic (ballistic or diffusive) transport, which cannot be assumed a priori. We therefore also include inelastic processes in our analysis and exemplify that thermal effects can have a significant effect on data evaluation. As ferromagnetic samples with a predicted half metallic behavior and comparably low conductivity we used thin films of the double perovskite Sr 2 FeMoO 6 and bulk material …

Understanding the trend in the Curie temperatures ofCo2-based Heusler compounds:Ab initiocalculations

The Curie temperatures for the Heusler compounds Co{sub 2}TiAl, Co{sub 2}VGa, Co{sub 2}VSn, Co{sub 2}CrGa, Co{sub 2}CrAl, Co{sub 2}MnAl, Co{sub 2}MnSn, Co{sub 2}MnSi, and Co{sub 2}FeSi are determined ab initio from the electronic structure obtained with the local-density functional approximation and/or the generalized gradient approximation. Frozen spin spirals are used to model the excited states needed to evaluate the spherical approximation for the Curie temperature. The spherical approximation is found to describe the experimental Curie temperatures very well which, for the compounds selected, extend over the range from 95 to 1100 K; as a function of the valence electron count, they sho…

Heusler Compounds: Applications in Spintronics

Probing the electronic states of high-TMR off-stoichiometric Co2MnSi thin films by hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

The tunnel magnetoresistance ratio (TMR) of fully epitaxial magnetic tunnel junctions with an off-stoichiometric Co${}_{2}$MnSi Heusler alloy has been shown to exhibit a systematic dependence on Mn content, reaching 1135% at 4.2 K for Co${}_{2}$Mn${}_{1.29}$Si. In this paper, we explain the behavior of the observed TMR ratio using ab initio calculations and hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES). For the Mn-deficient samples, we show that the the drop of the TMR is caused by Co antisite atoms, which impose extra states into the minority-spin band gap. On the other hand, Mn-excess composition shows nearly half-metallic behavior. This result can be intuitively understood since both Co…

An Inorganic Double Helix Sheathing Alkali Metal Cations: ANb2P2S12(A=K, Rb, Cs), A Series of Thiophosphates Close to the Metal-Nonmetal Boundary-Chalcogenide Analogues of Transition-Metal Phosphate Bronzes?

The new quaternary niobium thiophosphates ANb 2 P 2 S 1 2 (A=K, Rb, Cs) have been prepared and characterized. The title compounds were synthesized by reacting Nb metal, A 2 S, P 2 S 5 , and S at 600-700°C in evacuated silica tubes. They crystallize as "stuffed" variants of the tetragonal TaPS 6 structure type in the tetragonal space group I42d with eight formula units per unit cell and lattice constants a=15.923(2) and c=13.238(3) A for CsNb 2 P 2 S 1 2 , a= 15.887(3) and c=13.132(3) A for RbNb 2 P 2 S 1 2 , and a=15.850(2) and c= 13.119(3) A for KNb 2 P 2 S 1 2 . Their structures are based on double helices formed from interpenetrating, noninteracting spiral chains of binuclear [Nb 2 S 1 2…

Topological insulators in filled skutterudites

We propose new topological insulators in cerium filled skutterudite (FS) compounds based on ab initio calculations. We find that two compounds CeOs4As12 and CeOs4Sb12 are zero gap materials with band inversion between Os-d and Ce-f orbitals, which are thus parent compounds of two and three-dimensional topological insulators just like bulk HgTe. At low temperature, both compounds become topological Kondo insulators, which are Kondo insulators in the bulk, but have robust Dirac surface states on the boundary. This new family of topological insulators has two advantages compared to previous ones. First, they can have good proximity effect with other superconducting FS compounds to realize Maja…

Electronic and structural properties of palladium-based Heusler superconductors

Abstract This work reports on superconductivity in the Heusler compounds Pd2ZrAl and Pd2HfAl. Magnetisation and resistance measurements were carried out to verify their superconducting states. The compounds exhibit transition temperatures of 3.2 K (Zr) and 3.4 K (Hf). From their behaviour in external magnetic fields, it was determined that both compounds are type II superconductors. Similar to the half-metallic ferromagnets, the superconducting Heusler compounds follow an electron counting scheme based on theoretical considerations. As found from ab initio calculations, the superconductivity can be explained by a valence instability at the L -point, that has been used as design criterion.

Structure and Properties of GdAuSn and the GdAuSn/MnAuSn System

The crystal structure of GdAuSn was refined by means of single crystal X-ray diffraction. Band structure calculations based on the structural data confirmed the antiferromagnetic ground state and the metallic behaviour of GdAuSn. 119mSn, 155Gd and 197Au Mossbauer spectroscopic studies were used to verify the values of the hyperfine parameters that were given by the band structure calculations. Band structure calculations of MnAuSn confirmed that this half-Heusler compound belongs to the family of half-metallic ferromagnets. Magnetic susceptibility, conductivity and Mossbauer studies were used to characterize granular material based on the half-Heusler ferromagnet MnAuSn in the antiferromagn…

Ultrafine MnWO4 nanoparticles and their magnetic properties

Abstract Ultrafine nanoparticles of MnWO4, a compound showing low-temperature multiferroicity in the bulk, were synthesized by the polyol method. Studies using powder X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, differential sedimentation and sorption techniques show the formation of a single-phase material, which is composed of MnWO4 nanoparticles with a prolate ellipsoidal shape (short axis of 4–5 nm, long axis of 11–12 nm) and an unprecedented high specific surface area of 166 m2 g−1. The as-prepared MnWO4 nanoparticles are readily crystalline after the liquid-phase synthesis. Temperature and field dependent magnetization measurements indica…

Superconductivity in palladium-based Heusler compounds

This work reports on four more Heusler superconductors: ${\text{Pd}}_{2}\text{ZrAl}$, ${\text{Pd}}_{2}\text{HfAl}$, ${\text{Pd}}_{2}\text{ZrIn}$, and ${\text{Pd}}_{2}\text{HfIn}$. These compounds exhibit superconducting transition temperatures ranging from 2.4--3.8 K as determined by resistivity measurements. According to their behavior in an external magnetic field, all compounds are type II bulk superconductors. The occurrence of superconductivity was predicted for these compounds using electronic structure calculations. The electronic structures exhibit van Hove singularities (saddle points) at the $L$ point. These lead to a maximum in the corresponding density of states and superconduct…

Stabilizing and increasing the magnetic moment of half-metals: The role of Li in half-HeuslerLiMnZ(Z=N,P,Si)

Due to their similarities to metastable zinc-blende half-metals, we systematically examined the half-Heusler compounds $\ensuremath{\beta}\text{-LiMn}Z$ ($Z=\text{N},\text{P}$ and Si) for their electronic, magnetic, and stability properties at optimized lattice constants and strained lattice constants that exhibit half-metallic properties. We also report the other phases of the half-Heusler structure ($\ensuremath{\alpha}$ and $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ phases), but they are unlikely to be grown. The magnetic moments of these stable Li-based compounds are expected to reach as high as $4{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\mathrm{B}}$ per unit cell when $Z=\text{Si}$ and $5{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{\mathrm{B}}$ per un…

Berry-curvatures and anomalous Hall effect in Heusler compounds

Berry curvatures are computed for a set of Heusler compounds using density functional calculations and the wave functions that they provide. The anomalous Hall conductivity is obtained from the Berry curvatures. It is compared with experimental values in the case of Co${}_{2}$CrAl and Co${}_{2}$MnAl. A notable trend cannot be seen but the range of values is quite enormous. The results for the anomalous Hall conductivities and their large variations as well as the degree of the spin polarization of the Hall current can be qualitatively understood by means of the band structure and the Fermi-surface topology.

Co2CrIn: A further magnetic Heusler compound

Summary and Outlook In summary, this work presents the synthesis andcharacterisation of the Heusler compound Co 2 CrIn.The compound is L2 1 ordered and shows no major an-tisite disorder. Co 2 CrIn turns out to be a ferrimagnetwith a magnetic moment of 1.18 µ B at 5 K. In addi-tion, the hysterisis curve reveals a soft magnetic be-haviour. A measurement of the site specific magneticmomentsis highlydesirableas it might leadto a deeperunderstanding of the magnetic properties of Co 2 CrIn.Furthermore, the measured magnetic moment is not aninteger number, as expected for a half-metallic ferro-magnet. Thus, Co 2 CrIn can not be a half-metallic fer-romagnet, as most of the other Co 2 YZ Heusler com-…

Fine tuning of thermoelectric performance in phase-separated half-Heusler compounds

Two successful recipes to enhance the thermoelectric performance, namely carrier concentration optimization and reduction of thermal conductivity, have been combined and applied to the p-type (Ti/Zr/Hf)CoSb1−xSnx system. An intrinsic micrometer-scale phase separation increases the phonon scattering and reduces the lattice thermal conductivity. A substitution of 15% Sb by Sn optimizes the electronic properties. Starting from this, further improvement of the thermoelectric properties has been achieved by a fine tuning of the Ti to Hf ratio. The microstructuring of the samples was studied in detail with high-resolution synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction and element mapping electron microscop…

Thermomagnetic Properties Improved by Self-Organized Flower-Like Phase Separation of Ferromagnetic Co2Dy0.5Mn0.5Sn

A thermodynamically stable phase separation of Co2Dy0.5Mn0.5Sn into the Heusler compound Co2MnSn and Co8Dy3Sn4 is induced by rapid cooling from the liquid phase. The phase separation forms an ordered flower-like structure on the microscale. The increased scattering of phonons at the phase boundaries reduces the thermal conductivity and thus improves thermoelectric and spincaloric properties.

Investigation of a novel material for magnetoelectronics: Co2Cr0.6Fe0.4Al

Heusler compounds are promising candidates for future spintronics device applications. The electronic and magnetic properties of Co2Cr0.6Fe0.4Al, an electron-doped derivative of Co2CrAl, are investigated using circularly polarized synchrotron radiation and photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM). Element specific imaging reveals needle shaped Cr rich phases in a homogeneous bulk of the Heusler compound. The ferromagnetic domain structure is investigated on an element-resolved basis using x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) contrast in PEEM. The structure is characterized by micrometre-size domains with a superimposed fine ripple structure; the lateral resolution in these images is abo…

Different Look at the Spin State ofCo3+Ions in aCoO5Pyramidal Coordination

Using soft-x-ray absorption spectroscopy at the Co ${L}_{2,3}$ and O $K$ edges, we demonstrate that the ${\mathrm{Co}}^{3+}$ ions with the ${\mathrm{CoO}}_{5}$ pyramidal coordination in the layered ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{2}{\mathrm{CoO}}_{3}\mathrm{Cl}$ compound are unambiguously in the high spin state. Our result questions the reliability of the spin state assignments made so far for the recently synthesized layered cobalt perovskites and calls for a reexamination of the modeling for the complex and fascinating properties of these new materials.

Optimization of the carrier concentration in phase-separated half-Heusler compounds

Inspired by the promising thermoelectric properties of phase-separated half-Heusler materials, we investigated the influence of electron doping in the n-type Ti_(0.3−x)Zr_(0.35)Hf_(0.35)NiSn compound. The addition of Nb to this compound led to a significant increase in its electrical conductivity, and shifted the maximum Seebeck coefficient to higher temperatures owing to the suppression of intrinsic carriers. This resulted in an enhancement of both the power factor α^2σ and figure of merit, zT. The applicability of an average effective mass model revealed the optimized electron properties for samples containing Nb. There is evidence in the literature that the average effective mass model i…

Prediction of Weak Topological Insulators in Layered Semiconductors

We report the discovery of weak topological insulators by ab initio calculations in a honeycomb lattice. We propose a structure with an odd number of layers in the primitive unit-cell as a prerequisite for forming weak topological insulators. Here, the single-layered KHgSb is the most suitable candidate for its large bulk energy gap of 0.24 eV. Its side surface hosts metallic surface states, forming two anisotropic Dirac cones. Though the stacking of even-layered structures leads to trivial insulators, the structures can host a quantum spin Hall layer with a large bulk gap, if an additional single layer exists as a stacking fault in the crystal. The reported honeycomb compounds can serve as…

Intercalation effect on hyperfine parameters of Fe in FeSe superconductor with Tc = 42 K

57Fe-Mossbauer spectra of superconducting beta-FeSe, the Li/NH3 intercalate product and a subsequent sample of this intercalate treated with moist He gas have been measured in temperature range 4.7 - 290 K. A correlation is established between hyperfine parameters and critical temperature Tc in these phases. A strong increase of isomer shift upon intercalation is explained by a charge transfer from the Li/NH3 intercalate to the FeSe layers resulting in an increase of Tc up to 42 K. A significant decrease of the quadrupole splitting above 240 K has been attributed to diffusive motion of Li+ ions within the interlamellar space.

Investigation of Co$_2$FeSi: The Heusler compound with Highest Curie Temperature and Magnetic Moment

This work reports on structural and magnetic investigations of the Heusler compound Co$_2$FeSi. X-Ray diffraction and M\"o\ss bauer spectrometry indicate an ordered $L2_1$ structure. Magnetic measurements by means of X-ray magnetic circular dichroism and magnetometry revealed that this compound is, currently, the material with the highest magnetic moment ($6 \mu_B$) and Curie-temperature (1100K) in the classes of Heusler compounds as well as half-metallic ferromagnets.

Properties of Co/sub 2/YZ Heusler compounds

Heusler compounds of Co/sub 2/XY composition (Co/sub 2/Cr/sub 0.6/Fe/sub 0.4/Al, Co/sub 2/FeSi) offer a variety of half-metallic ferromagnetic materials. These were prepared by arc melting and comprehensively characterized by means of X-ray diffraction ( XRD), Mossbauer spectroscopy, magnetic X-ray circular dichroism spectroscopy (MXCD), superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry, electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) depth profiling. Structural disorder phenomena, magnetic hysteresis, magnetic moments, magnetic transition temperatures and Curie temperature were obtaine…

ChemInform Abstract: New Binary Antimonide Hf5Sb3 - Differences and Similarities to the Zr Antimonides.

Abstract Hf5Sb3 can be prepared by arc-melting of hafnium and previously synthesized HfSb2. It crystallizes like the high-temperature modification of Zr5Sb3 in the Y5Bi3 structure type, space group Pnma, Z=4, a=740.75(9) pm, b=871.8(1) pm, c=1073.6(1) pm, V=693.3(1) 106pm3. An antimonide analogous to the low-temperature form of Zr5Sb3 was not obtained during our investigations. In the structure of Hf5Sb3, the Hf atoms form a three-dimensional network with numerous short Hf–Hf contacts, including the Sb atoms in severely distorted two- and three-capped trigonal prismatic voids. Calculations of the electronic structure, performed with the extended Huckel approximation as well as the TB-LMTO-A…

Correlation in Heusler compounds YSi(Y=3d transition metal)

Abstract Ferromagnetic Co 2 -based Heusler compounds have generated increasing interest over the last few years because of their peculiar electronic structure. They exhibit a band gap for the electrons of one direction and are metallic for the other. Further, they cover a very wide range of magnetic moments and Curie temperatures. Despite lot of efforts in theory and experiment to describe bulk materials and thin films, there are some marked discrepancies between observed and predicted properties of these materials. These discrepancies appear not only across but also within synthesis methods as well as in the theoretical predictions. In this contribution, the electronic structure of Co 2 YS…

Insights into Intrinsic Defects and the Incorporation of Na and K in the Cu2ZnSnSe4 Thin-Film Solar Cell Material from Hybrid-Functional Calculations

We have performed density functional theory calculations using the HSE06 hybrid functional to investigate the energetics, atomic, and electronic structure of intrinsic defects as well as Na and K impurities in the kesterite structure of the Cu2ZnSnSe4 (CZTSe) solar cell material. We found that both Na and K atoms prefer to be incorporated into this material as substitutional defects in the Cu sublattice. At this site highly stable (Na–Na), (K–K), and (Na–K) dumbbells can form. While Na interstitial defects are stable in CZTSe, the formation of K interstitial defects is unlikely. In general, the calculated formation energies for Na-related defects are always lower compared to their K-related…

On the half-metallicity of Co2FeSi Heusler alloy: Point-contact Andreev reflection spectroscopy andab initiostudy

Co2FeSi, a Heusler alloy with the highest magnetic moment per unit cell and the highest Curie temperature, has largely been described theoretically as a half-metal. This conclusion, however, disagrees with point contact Andreev reflection (PCAR) spectroscopy measurements, which give much lower values of spin polarization, P. Here, we present the spin polarization measurements of Co2FeSi by the PCAR technique, along with a thorough computational exploration, within the DFT and a GGA+U approach, of the Coulomb exchange U parameters for Co and Fe atoms, taking into account spin-orbit coupling. We find that the orbital contribution (mo) to the total magnetic moment (mT) is significant, since it…

Superconductivity and magnetism in Rb0.8Fe1.6Se2under pressure

High-pressure magnetization, structural and 57Fe M\"ossbauer studies were performed on superconducting Rb0.8Fe1.6Se2.0 with Tc = 32.4 K. The superconducting transition temperature gradually decreases on increasing pressure up to 5.0 GPa followed by a marked step-like suppression of superconductivity near 6 GPa. No structural phase transition in the Fe vacancy-ordered superstructure is observed in synchrotron XRD studies up to 15.6 GPa, while the M\"ossbauer spectra above 5 GPa reveal the appearance of a new paramagnetic phase and significant changes in the magnetic and electronic properties of the dominant antiferromagnetic phase, coinciding with the disappearance of superconductivity. Thes…

Synthesis and characterization of copper intercalated ZrTe3

Abstract Electrochemical copper intercalation in ZrTe3 yields the new metallic ternary phase CuxZrTe3 with a maximum stoichiometry of x = 1.9. The charge is balanced by filling the σ∗ antibonding Te p bands, as monitored by XANES spectroscopy. The reaction is accompanied by an increase in the a lattice dimension of 9%. This observation is explained by theoretical calculations.

Electronic, structural, and magnetic properties of the half-metallic ferromagnetic quaternary Heusler compounds CoFeMnZ(Z=Al, Ga, Si, Ge)

The quaternary intermetallic Heusler compounds CoFeMn$Z$ ($Z=\text{Al}$, Ga, Si, or Ge) with $1:1:1:1$ stoichiometry were predicted to exhibit half-metallic ferromagnetism by ab initio electronic structure calculations. The compounds were synthesized using an arc-melting technique and the crystal structures were analyzed using x-ray powder diffraction. The electronic properties were investigated using hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The low-temperature magnetic moments, as determined from magnetization measurements, follow the Slater-Pauling rule, confirming the proposed high spin polarizations. All compounds have high Curie temperatures, allowing for applications at room temperature…

Charge carrier concentration optimization of thermoelectric p-type half-Heusler compounds

The carrier concentration in the p-type half-Heusler compound Ti0.3Zr0.35Hf0.35CoSb1−xSnx was optimized, which is a fundamental approach to enhance the performance of thermoelectric materials. The optimum carrier concentration is reached with a substitution level x = 0.15 of Sn, which yields the maximum power factor, 2.69 × 10−3 W m−1 K−2, and the maximum ZT = 0.8. This is an enhancement of about 40% in the power factor and the figure of merit compared to samples with x = 0.2. To achieve low thermal conductivities in half-Heusler compounds, intrinsic phase separation is an important key point. The present work addresses the influence of different preparation procedures on the quality and re…

Topological insulators and thermoelectric materials

Topological insulators (TIs) are a new quantum state of matter which have gapless surface states inside the bulk energy gap. Starting with the discovery of two dimensional TIs, the HgTe-based quantum wells, many new topological materials have been theoretically predicted and experimentally observed. Currently known TI materials can possibly be classified into two families, the HgTe family and the Bi2Se family. The signatures found in the electronic structure of a TI also cause these materials to be excellent thermoelectric materials. On the other hand, excellent thermoelectric materials can be also topologically trivial. Here we present a short introduction to topological insulators and the…

Topological insulators and thermoelectric materials

Topological insulators (TIs) are a new quantum state of matter which have gapless surface states inside the bulk energy gap. Starting with the discovery of two dimensional TIs, the HgTe-based quantum wells, many new topological materials have been theoretically predicted and experimentally observed. Currently known TI materials can possibly be classified into two families, the HgTe family and the Bi2Se family. The signatures found in the electronic structure of a TI also cause these materials to be excellent thermoelectric materials. On the other hand, excellent thermoelectric materials can be also topologically trivial. Here we present a short introduction to topological insulators and the…

New materials with high spin polarization: half-metallic Heusler compounds

Structure determination of thin CoFe films by anomalous x-ray diffraction

This work reports on the investigation of structure-property relationships in thin CoFe films grown on MgO. Because of the very similar scattering factors of Fe and Co, it is not possible to distinguish the random A2 (W-type) structure from the ordered B2 (CsCl-type) structure with commonly used x-ray sources. Synchrotron radiation based anomalous x-ray diffraction overcomes this problem. It is shown that as grown thin films and 300 K post annealed films exhibit the A2 structure with a random distribution of Co and Fe. In contrast, films annealed at 400 K adopt the ordered B2 structure.

Electronic properties of Co2MnSi thin films studied by hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

This work reports on the electronic properties of thin films of the Heusler compound Co2MnSi studied by means of hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES). The results of photoelectron spectroscopy from multilayered thin films excited by photons of 2?8?keV are presented. The measurements were performed on (substrate/buffer layer/Co2MnSi(z)/capping layer) multilayers with a thickness z ranging from 0 to 50?nm. It is shown that high energy spectroscopy is a valuable tool for non-destructive depth profiling. The experimentally determined values of the inelastic electron mean free path in Co2MnSi increase from about 19.5 to 67?? on increasing the kinetic energy from about 1.9 to 6.8?keV. T…

Hybrid-Functional Calculations on the Incorporation of Na and K Impurities into the CuInSe 2 and CuIn 5 Se 8 Solar-Cell Materials

International audience; We have studied the energetics, atomic, and electronic structure of Na and K point defects, as well as the (Na-Na), (K-K), and (Na-K) dumbbells in CuInSe2 and CuIn5Se8 solar cell materials by hybrid functional calculations. We found that although Na and K behaves somewhat similar; there is a qualitative difference between the inclusion of Na and K impurities. Namely, Na will be mostly incorporated into CuInSe2 and CuIn5Se8 either as an interstitial defect coordinated by cations, or two Na impurities will form (Na-Na) dumbbells in the Cu sublattice. In contrast to Na, K impurities are less likely to form interstitial defects. Instead, it is more preferable to accommod…

Tetragonal Heusler Compounds for Spintronics

With respect to the requirements of spin torque transfer (STT) materials, one the most promising materials families are the tunable tetragonal Heusler compounds based on Mn2YZ (Y=Co,Fe,Ni,Rh,...; Z=Al, Ga, Sn). They form the inverse cubic Heusler structure with three distinct magnetic sublattices, which allows a fine tuning of the magnetic properties. Starting with the stoichiometric Mn3Ga compound, we explored the complete phase diagram of Mn3-xYxZ (Y=Co, Fe, Ni and Z=Ga ). All series exhibit thermally stable magnetic properties. As we demonstrate, Mn3-xFexGa series, which are tetragonal over the whole range of compositions, are good as hard magnets, whereas magnetically more weak Mn3-xNix…

Formation of an intermolecular charge-transfer compound in UHV codeposited tetramethoxypyrene and tetracyanoquinodimethane

Ultrahigh vacuum (UHV)-deposited films of the mixed phase of tetramethoxypyrene and tetracyanoquinodimethane $({\text{TMP}}_{1}{\text{-TCNQ}}_{1})$ on gold have been studied using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), x-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS). The formation of an intermolecular charge-transfer (CT) compound is evident from the appearance of new reflexes in XRD (${d}_{1}=0.894\text{ }\text{nm}$ and ${d}_{2}=0.677\text{ }\text{nm}$). A softening of the CN stretching vibration (redshift by $7\text{ }{\text{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$) of TCNQ is visible in the IR spectra, being indicative of a CT on the order of $0.3e$ f…

Giant negative magnetoresistance in GdI2

Abstract GdI 2 is a layered d 1 compound which is isostructural with and nominally isoelectronic to the superconductors 2H–TaS 2 and 2H–NbSe 2 . GdI 2 orders ferromagnetically at 276(2) K and displays large negative magnetoresistance ∼70% at 7 T close to room temperature. At 10 K the saturation magnetization is 7.33(5) μ B in good agreement with the value predicted from spin polarized band structure calculations.

Co2CrIn: A Further Magnetic Heusler Compound

Summary and Outlook In summary, this work presents the synthesis andcharacterisation of the Heusler compound Co 2 CrIn.The compound is L2 1 ordered and shows no major an-tisite disorder. Co 2 CrIn turns out to be a ferrimagnetwith a magnetic moment of 1.18 µ B at 5 K. In addi-tion, the hysterisis curve reveals a soft magnetic be-haviour. A measurement of the site specific magneticmomentsis highlydesirableas it might leadto a deeperunderstanding of the magnetic properties of Co 2 CrIn.Furthermore, the measured magnetic moment is not aninteger number, as expected for a half-metallic ferro-magnet. Thus, Co 2 CrIn can not be a half-metallic fer-romagnet, as most of the other Co 2 YZ Heusler com-…

Charakterisierung von dotierten Heusler-Verbindungen: Co2Cr1−xFexAl

Electronic structure, localization, and spin-state transition in Cu-substitutedFeSe:Fe1−xCuxSe

We report density-functional studies of the ${\text{Fe}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{Cu}}_{x}\text{Se}$ alloy done using supercell and coherent-potential approximation methods. Magnetic behavior was investigated using the disordered local moment approach. We find that Cu occurs in a nominal ${d}^{10}$ configuration and is highly disruptive to the electronic structure of the Fe sheets. This would be consistent with a metal-insulator transition due to Anderson localization. We further find a strong crossover from a weak moment itinerant system to a local moment magnet at $x\ensuremath{\approx}0.12$. We associate this with the experimentally observed jump near this concentration. Our results are …

Systematical, experimental investigations on LiMgZ (Z= P, As, Sb) wide band gap semiconductors

This work reports on the experimental investigation of the wide band gap compounds LiMgZ (Z = P, As, Sb), which are promising candidates for opto-electronics and anode materials for Lithium batteries. The compounds crystallize in the cubic (C1_b) MgAgAs structure (space group F-43m). The polycrystalline samples were synthesized by solid state reaction methods. X-ray and neutron diffraction measurements show a homogeneous, single-phased samples. The electronic properties were studied using the direct current (DC) method. Additionally UV-VIS diffuse reflectance spectra were recorded in order to investigate the band gap nature. The measurements show that all compounds exhibit semiconducting be…

Electronic structure studies ofBaFe2As2by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

We report high resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) studies of the electronic structure of ${\text{BaFe}}_{2}{\text{As}}_{2}$, which is one of the parent compounds of the Fe-pnictide superconductors. ARPES measurements have been performed at 20 and 300 K, corresponding to the orthorhombic antiferromagnetic phase and the tetragonal paramagnetic phase, respectively. Photon energies between 30 and 175 eV and polarizations parallel and perpendicular to the scattering plane have been used. Measurements of the Fermi surface yield two hole pockets at the $\ensuremath{\Gamma}$ point and an electron pocket at each of the $X$ points. The topology of the pockets has been conclu…

Iron-based Heusler compounds Fe2YZ: Comparison with theoretical predictions of the crystal structure and magnetic properties

The present work reports on the new soft ferromagnetic Heusler phases Fe${}_{2}$NiGe, Fe${}_{2}$CuGa, and Fe${}_{2}$CuAl, which in previous theoretical studies have been predicted to exist in a tetragonal Heusler structure. Together with the known phases Fe${}_{2}$CoGe and Fe${}_{2}$NiGa these materials have been synthesized and characterized by powder x-ray diffraction, ${}^{57}$Fe M\"ossbauer spectroscopy, superconducting quantum interference device, and energy-dispersive x-ray measurements. In particular M\"ossbauer spectroscopy was used to monitor the degree of local atomic order/disorder and to estimate magnetic moments at the Fe sites from the hyperfine fields. It is shown that in con…

Lattice Instability and Competing Spin Structures in the Double Perovskite InsulatorSr2FeOsO6

The semiconductor Sr2FeOsO6, depending on temperature, adopts two types of spin structures that differ in the spin sequence of ferrimagnetic iron-osmium layers along the tetragonal c axis. Neutron powder diffraction experiments, 57Fe Mossbauer spectra, and density functional theory calculations suggest that this behavior arises because a lattice instability resulting in alternating iron-osmium distances fine-tunes the balance of competing exchange interactions. Thus, Sr2FeOsO6 is an example of a double perovskite, in which the electronic phases are controlled by the interplay of spin, orbital, and lattice degrees of freedom.

High spin polarization in Co2CrAl–Cr superlattice

The electronic structure, magnetic properties and interface effects in Co2CrAl?Cr superstructures have been investigated by the use of first principle calculations. The results show that at the interface, a large magnetic moment and a high spin polarization can be induced by a strong ferromagnetic exchange interaction at the Cr?Co interface. However, at the CrAl?Cr interface, both the magnetic moment and the spin polarization of the Cr atoms are decreased due to a Cr?Cr antiferromagnetic interaction. It can also be found that the interface effect is only a short range effect. So, high spin polarization in Co2CrAl?Cr superlattice can be obtained. Based on this theoretical analysis, a large g…

Long-term stability of phase-separated Half-Heusler compounds

Half-Heusler (HH) compounds have shown high Figure of merits up to 1.5. The key to these high thermoelectric efficiencies is an intrinsic phase separation, which occurs in multicomponent Half-Heusler compounds and leads to an significantly reduction of the thermal conductivity. For commercial applications, compatible n- and p-type materials are essential and their thermal stability under operating conditions, e.g. for an automotive up to 873 K, needs to be guaranteed. For the first time, the long-term stability of n- and p-type HH materials is proved. We investigated HH materials based on the Ti0.3Zr0.35Hf0.35NiSn-system after 500 cycles (1700 h) from 373 to 873 K. Both compounds exhibit a …

Spin Polarimetry and Magnetic Dichroism on a Buried Magnetic Layer Using Hard X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

The spin-resolved electronic structure of buried magnetic layers is studied by hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) using a spin polarimeter in combination with a high-energy hemispherical electron analyzer at the high-brilliance BL47XU beamline (SPring-8, Japan). Spin-resolved photoelectron spectra are analyzed in comparison with the results of magnetic linear and circular dichroism in photoelectron emission in the case of buried Co2FeAl0.5Si0.5 layers. The relatively large inelastic mean free path (up to 20 nm) of fast photoelectrons enables us to extend the HAXPES technique with electron-spin polarimetry and to develop spin analysis techniques for buried magnetic multilayers a…

Improving thermoelectric performance of TiNiSn by mixing MnNiSb in the half-Heusler structure

The thermoelectric properties of n type semiconductor, TiNiSn is optimized by partial substitution with metallic, MnNiSb in the half Heusler structure. Herein, we study the transport properties and intrinsic phase separation in the system. The Ti1-xMnxNiSn1-xSbx alloys were prepared by arc-melting and were annealed at temperatures obtained from differential thermal analysis and differential scanning calorimetry results. The phases were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction patterns, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. After annealing the majority phase was TiNiSn with some Ni rich sites and the minority phases was majorly Ti6Sn5, Sn, and MnSn2…

Lattice-Site-Specific Spin Dynamics in Double PerovskiteSr2CoOsO6

Magnetic properties and spin dynamics have been studied for the structurally ordered double perovskite Sr2CoOsO6. Neutron diffraction, muon-spin relaxation, and ac-susceptibility measurements reveal two antiferromagnetic (AFM) phases on cooling from room temperature down to 2 K. In the first AFM phase, with transition temperature TN1=108  K, cobalt (3d7, S=3/2) and osmium (5d2, S=1) moments fluctuate dynamically, while their average effective moments undergo long-range order. In the second AFM phase below TN2=67  K, cobalt moments first become frozen and induce a noncollinear spin-canted AFM state, while dynamically fluctuating osmium moments are later frozen into a randomly canted state at…

Eight‐Coordinate Endohedral Rhenium, Osmium and Iridium Atoms in Rare‐Earth Halide Cluster Complexes

Endohedral (interstitial) atoms are essential for almost all of the rare-earth halide cluster complexes. Most of these contain octahedral clusters, some are isolated, but the majority exhibits condensation by common edges to structures of higher dimensionality. Higher coordination numbers of the endohedral atoms are rare. Four examples of extended cluster complexes with eight-coordinate endohedral atoms of sixth-period elements (Re, Os, Ir) are presented. In the quasi-isostructural, non-isotypic halides (ReGd 4 )Br 4 and {OsSc 4 }-Cl 4 , square antiprisms of gadolinium and scandium atoms, respectively, are connected by two common faces to chains, surrounded and loosely connected by halogeni…

Challenging the Prediction of Anionogenic Ferromagnetism for Rb4O6

It has been suggested that Rb4O6 should be a half-metallic ferromagnet with the magnetic moment carried by the hyperoxide anions and a Curie temperature above room temperature. In the present work,...

Spatial inhomogeneities and defect structures in CIGS and CIS materials: An ab-initio based Monte Carlo study

The chalcopyrite semiconductors CuIn 1−x Ga x Se 2 (CIGS) and CuInSe 2 (CIS) are excellent materials for high efficiency and low cost thin-film solar cells. This is due to the effective absorption of the solar spectrum and the inherent resilience to defects and composition fluctuations. Although the CIGS and CIS material in solar cells is highly inhomogeneous and exhibits a lot of different defects, the cell efficiencies are exceptionally high. If single crystalline absorbers are used, efficiencies are lower. Therefore, studying spatial inhomogeneities and defect structures is of great importance for understanding what supports and what diminishes the efficiency and robustness of the cells.…

New Heusler Compounds and Their Properties

Spintronics is a multidisciplinary field and a new research area. New materials must be found for satisfying the different types of requirement. The search for stable half-metallic ferromagnets and ferromagnetic semiconductors with Curie temperatures higher than room temperature is still a challenge for solid state scientists. A general understanding of how structures are related to properties is a necessary prerequisite for material design. Computational simulations are an important tool for a rational design of new materials. The new developments in this new field are reported from the point of view of material scientists.

Spintronic properties of Li1.5Mn0.5Z (Z=As, Sb) compounds in the Cu2Sb structure

Abstract We have investigated the spintronic properties of two formula units of Li1.5Mn0.5Z (Z=As, Sb), in the Cu2Sb tetragonal crystal structure based on first-principles density-functional theory calculations, at, and near, their equilibrium (minimum total energy) lattice constants. Two groups of configurations, A and B, are formed for each type of alloy by interchanging Mn with each Li located at four different positions with respect to Li4Z2. Mn has four nearest neighbors in group-A and has one nearest neighbor in group-B. The bonding features of the alloys are compared to the ionic bonding in Li4Z2, and the tetragonal structure of cubic LiMnZ. The magnetic moments of these compounds ar…

Electronic structure of two crystallographic forms ofBaRuO3

Electronic structure calculations have been performed to explain the difference in the electronic properties of two crystallographic forms of ${\mathrm{BaRuO}}_{3}.$ The calculations can explain the qualitatively different resistivities of isoelectronic $4H$- and $9R$-${\mathrm{BaRuO}}_{3}$ below 100 K. The difference in symmetry between the hexagonal four-layer ${\mathrm{BaRuO}}_{3}$ and the rhombohedral nine-layer compound allows the formation of a gap for the later. The electronic structure of these hexagonal perovskites is compared with the more familiar cubic perovskite ${\mathrm{CaRuO}}_{3}.$

Theoretical study of new acceptor and donor molecules based on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Functionalized polcyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are an interesting class of molecules in which the electronic state of the graphene-like hydrocarbon part is tuned by the functional group. Searching for new types of donor and acceptor molecules, a set of new PAHs has recently been investigated experimentally using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS). In this work, the electronic structure of the PAHs is studied numerically with the help of B3LYP hybrid density functionals. Using the DELTA-SCF method, electron binding energies have been determined which affirm, specify and complement the UPS data. Symmetry properties of molecular orbitals are analyzed for a categorization and a…

Bulk sensitive photo emission spectroscopy of compounds

This work reports about bulk-sensitive, high energy photoelectron spectroscopy from the valence band of CoTiSb excited by photons from 1.2 to 5 keV energy. The high energy photoelectron spectra were taken at the KMC-1 high energy beamline of BESSY II employing the recently developed Phoibos 225 HV analyser. The measurements show a good agreement to calculations of the electronic structure using the LDA scheme. It is shown that the high energy spectra reveal the bulk electronic structure better compared to low energy XPS spectra.

Exotic magnetism in the alkali sesquioxidesRb4O6andCs4O6

Among the various alkali oxides the sesquioxides ${\text{Rb}}_{4}{\text{O}}_{6}$ and ${\text{Cs}}_{4}{\text{O}}_{6}$ are of special interest. Electronic-structure calculations using the local spin-density approximation predicted that ${\text{Rb}}_{4}{\text{O}}_{6}$ should be a half-metallic ferromagnet, which was later contradicted when an experimental investigation of the temperature-dependent magnetization of ${\text{Rb}}_{4}{\text{O}}_{6}$ showed a low-temperature magnetic transition and differences between zero-field-cooled and field-cooled measurements. Such behavior is known from spin glasses and frustrated systems. ${\text{Rb}}_{4}{\text{O}}_{6}$ and ${\text{Cs}}_{4}{\text{O}}_{6}$ c…

ChemInform Abstract: Probing the Size Effect of Co2FeGa-SiO2@C Nanocomposite Particles Prepared by a Chemical Approach.

The title nanocomposite particles are prepared by addition of silica spheres to a dispersion of Fe(NO3)3, CoCl2, and Ga(NO3)3 in MeOH followed by sonication for 1 h and annealing at 850 °C for 5 h under flowing H2.

Preparation of Heusler thin films: The quaternary alloy CO2Fe0.5Mn0.5Si

In this work the basic strategies for the preparation of CO2Mn0.5Fe0.5Si as an example for Heusler alloy thin films will be described. Texture and magnetic properties of these films will be discussed, especially with regard to different buffer layers and annealing temperatures. Finally, we will show the integration of Heusler thin films into magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) and calculate the effective spin polarization. (c) 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

Hybrid functional calculations on the Na and K impurities in substitutional and interstitial positions in Cu2ZnSnSe4

We studied the energetics, atomic and electronic structure of Na and K extrinsic defects in Cu2ZnSnSe4 by ab initio calculations using the HSE06 hybrid functional. Our results show that (i) among all substitutional positions, the Cu-site is the most favorable position for both Na and K. (ii) The tetrahedrally coordinated interstitial site has a lower formation energy than the octahedrally coordinated interstitial site. (iii) Based on the band structure calculations we can conclude, Se-related defects lead to the formation of defect states within the band gap.

Metal–Metal Distances, Electron Counts, and Superconducting TC's in AM2B2C

Abstract We present first principles band structure calculations on representative boron carbides belonging to the class of superconducting compounds with the general formula AM 2 B 2 C with A =Lu, La, or Th and M =Ni or Pd. The compounds are analyzed within the framework of the so-called van Hove scenario, where superconductivity is linked to certain kinds of instabilities in the band structure. We attempt to determine why the addition of the extra electron on replacing the rare earth with Th does not make a significant difference to the superconducting properties, and why the compound LaNi 2 B 2 C is not superconducting.

ChemInform Abstract: Magnetic and Electronic Structure of the CMR Chalcospinel Fe0.5Cu0.5Cr2S4

Electronic structure calculations forZnFe2O4

Local density approximation was applied to scrutinize the electronic structure and magnetic properties of the spinel ferrite ${\mathrm{ZnFe}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$. Various cation distributions were established to obtain the ground state for the system. In magnetic crystals, the position of the atoms is not enough for symmetry determination. A structure prediction by decreasing the octahedral point group symmetry ${\mathrm{O}}_{h}$ of Fe to ${\mathrm{D}}_{4h}$, ${\mathrm{C}}_{4v}$, and ${\mathrm{C}}_{3v}$ was carried out. The effect of the exchange and correlation terms on the band structure of ${\mathrm{ZnFe}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$ was studied by the generalized gradient approximation $+$ th…

Structural and magnetic properties of the solid solution series Sr2Fe1–xMxReO6(M = Cr, Zn)

Strong correlations between the electronic, structural and magnetic properties have been found during the study of doped double perovskites Sr2Fe1−xMxReO6 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1, M = Zn, Cr). The interplay between the van Hove singularity and the Fermi level plays a crucial role for the magnetic properties. Cr doping of the parent compound Sr2FeReO6 leads to a non-monotonic behaviour of the saturation magnetization and an enhancement for doping levels up to 10%. The Curie temperatures monotonically increase from 401 to 616 K. In contrast, Zn doping leads to a continuous decrease in the saturation magnetization and the Curie temperatures. Superimposed on the electronic effects is the structural influenc…

EXAFS-Messungen an dotierten Heusler-Verbindungen

A theoretical investigation on the Cd doping of Cu-depleted CuInSe&lt;inf&gt;2&lt;/inf&gt; materials

Because of their outstanding characteristics and affordable price, polycrystalline thin film solar cells based on CuIn 1−x Ga x Se 2 (CIGS) absorber layer have emerged to be one of the most promising materials for photovoltaic applications [1–2]. To further enhance the efficiency of these solar cells much effort is spent on the in-depth investigation of the production methods. However, the effect of structural defects and dopants upon the macroscopic properties and morphology of epitaxially grown CIGS films is not yet fully understood [3]. More importantly, it is well established that the best cells can be prepared by growing the CIGS absorber layer under Cu-poor conditions [4]. Thus, it is…

The effect of Fe doping on superconductivity in ZrRuP

Abstract This work reports the structure and superconducting properties of the superconductor ZrRuP doped with Fe; the ZrRu 1− x Fe x P solid solution was investigated by means of X-ray powder diffraction, SQUID magnetometry and Mosbauer spectroscopy. It is shown that the modification of the superconducting properties by doping with Fe is similar to the effect of chemical pressure and that the Fe doped compounds do not show any magnetic ordering.

Magnetic and Electronic Properties ofRENiBi (RE = Pr, Sm, Gd-Tm, Lu) Compounds

Resistivity and magnetic measurements were used to examine the ternary rare earth compounds RENiBi (RE = Pr, Sm, Gd-Tm, Lu). These compounds order antiferromagnetically with TN below 16 K (RE = Pr, Sm, Gd-Tm) or are paramagnetic (LuNiBi). For some of these compounds a metal–insulator transition was found. The metal–insulator transition temperature depends strongly on the preparation conditions. Both the magnetic ground states and the resistance behavior are in good agreement with electronic band structure calculations.

Spintronik: eine Herausforderung für Materialwissenschaften und Festkörperchemie

Spintronik ist ein multidisziplinares Forschungsfeld zwischen Physik, Material- und Ingenieurwissenschaften, aber auch ein neuer Forschungsbereich der Festkorperforschung. Fur die verschiedensten Anforderungen mussen unterschiedlichste Materialien gefunden werden. Die Suche nach ferromagnetischen Halbleitern und stabilen halbmetallischen Ferromagneten mit Curie-Temperaturen hoher als Raumtemperatur ist immer noch eine zentrale Aufgabe fur die Festkorperchemie. Ein allgemeines Verstandnis der Struktur-Eigenschafts-Beziehungen ist eine notwendige Voraussetzung fur das Design neuer Materialien. In diesem Aufsatz werden die wichtigsten Entwicklungen im Bereich der Spintronik aus der Perspektive…

Magnetic and structural properties of the double-perovskite Ca2FeReO6

Abstract We suceeded in the preparation of polycrystalline Ca2FeReO6 which has a Curie temperature TC of 540 K, the highest value of all magnetic perovskites investigated till now. This material has been characterised by X-ray and neutron powder diffraction. We found at 548 K, a monoclinic unit cell (space group P21/n) with a=5.4366(5) A , b=5.5393(5) A , c=7.7344(5) A , and β=90.044(4)°. For temperatures below 400 K, a phase separation in two monoclinic phases with identical cell volume is observed in neutron scattering. The two phases possess different magnetic structure and coercivity. The conductivity is thermally activated for all temperatures and no significant magnetoresistivity is o…

Fabrication and characterization of semiconducting half Heusler YPtSb thin films

The semiconducting half Heusler compound YPtSb was predicted theoretically to be capable of changing into topological insulator under proper strain. In this work, p type semiconducting half-Heusler YPtSb thin films were prepared by magnetron co-sputtering method from a specially designed target for the first time. Textured structure with (111) plane paralleling with (001) of MgO substrate was observed when YPtSb thin films were grown on MgO (100) substrate at 600{\deg}C.Electrical measurements show that the resistivity of YPtSb films decreases with increasing temperature, indicating a semiconductor-like behavior. The carrier density is as high as 1.15 X 10^21 cm-3 at 300 K. The band gap of …

Strukturaufklärung der Halb-Heusler-Verbindung CoMnSb mit Hilfe von121Sb-Mößbauer-Spektroskopie

Cu–Cu interactions in the transparent p-type conductors: CuAlO2 and SrCu2O2

Abstract Electronic structures of the p-type Transparent Conducting Oxides (TCO): CuAlO2 and SrCu2O2 are calculated using the Tight Binding Linearized Muffin Tin Orbital within the Atomic Sphere Approximation method (TB-LMTO-ASA). The band structures indicate two gaps for CuAlO2 (an indirect one with ΔE≈0.45 eV and a direct one with ΔE≈1.25 eV) and one direct gap for SrCu2O2 (with ΔE≈2 eV). In both oxides the Cu states are dominant at the top of the valence band, close to the Fermi level and the existence of weak Cu–Cu bonding interactions is revealed through the Integrated Crystal Orbital Hamiltonian Population (ICOHP). The presence of such interactions suggests that for the hole doped oxi…

High-spin polarization of Heusler alloys

Fermi surface of a half-metal compound with cubic Fm–3m symmetry: Heusler alloy or double perovskite.The inset shows the spin resolved density of state for a CCFA Heusler compound. ( This illustration appears on the cover of the print edition. ) This cluster issue of Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics is devoted to magnetic Heusler alloys. This class of materials is currently considered to contain the most attractive half-metallic ferromagnets due to their high Curie temperatures and their structural relation to conventional semiconductors. The first compound to be identified as a half-metallic ferromagnet, by de Groot et al back in 1983, was the half-Heusler alloy NiMnSb. After a period…

Tetragonal-to-orthorhombic structural phase transition at 90 K in the superconductor Fe(1.01)Se.

In this Letter we show that superconducting ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{1.01}\mathrm{Se}$ undergoes a structural transition at 90 K from a tetragonal to an orthorhombic phase but that nonsuperconducting ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{1.03}\mathrm{Se}$ does not. High resolution electron microscopy at low temperatures further reveals an unexpected additional modulation of the crystal structure of the superconducting phase that involves displacements of the Fe atoms, and that the nonsuperconducting composition shows a different, complex nanometer-scale structural modulation. Finally, we show that magnetism is not the driving force for the phase transition in the superconducting phase.

Substitution Effects in Double Perovskites: How the Crystal Structure Influences the Electronic Properties

We systematically studied substituted Sr2FeReO6 with respect to experimental characterization and theoretical band structure calculations. In the framework of the tight-binding approach, hole- or electron-doping of Sr2MM’O6 were performed at the M or M’ positions either by transition or main group metals. Hole-doping, rather than electron-doping, has a favorable effect to improve the half-metallicity (Curie temperature and saturation magnetization) of the parent compound. When M is substituted by another metal, the original M’ metal will serve as a redox buffer (and vice versa). Substituting M by another metal with a size similar to that of the metal at M’ position causes disorder, which ha…

Structural and magnetic properties of Fe2CoGa Heusler nanoparticles

Abstract Fe2CoGa Heusler nanoparticles are synthesized by a chemical method. The structure and magnetic properties of Fe2CoGa Heusler nanoparticles are investigated by x-ray diffraction, extended x-ray absorption fine structure and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The crystal structure of Fe2CoGa nanoparticles is described by the X-type structure (prototype: Li2AgSb). Magnetic measurements reveal the presence of small Fe2CoGa nanoparticles and lower magnetic moments compared with the theoretically predicted values.

Are AuPdTM (T = Sc, Y and M = Al, Ga, In), Heusler Compounds Superconductors without Inversion Symmetry?

Heusler compounds with 2:1:1 stoichiometry either have a centrosymmetric Cu 2 MnAl structure or an Li 2 AgSb structure without a centre of inversion. The centrosymmetry is always lost in quaternary Heusler compounds with 1:1:1:1 stoichiometry and LiMgPdSn structure. This presents the possibility of realizing non-centrosymmetric superconductors in the family of Heusler compounds. The objective of this study is to search for and investigate such quaternary derivatives of Heusler compounds, particularly with respect to superconductivity. Several compounds were identified by carrying out calculations from first principles and superconductivity was observed in experiments conducted on AuPdScAl a…

ChemInform Abstract: The Valence States of Nickel, Tin, and Sulfur in the Ternary Chalcogenide Ni3Sn2S2 - XPS, 61Ni and 119Sn Moessbauer Investigations, and Band Structure Calculations.

Completely compensated ferrimagnetism and sublattice spin crossing in the half-metallic Heusler compound Mn1.5FeV0.5Al

The Slater-Pauling rule states that L21 Heusler compounds with 24 valence electrons do never exhibit a total spin magnetic moment. In case of strongly localized magnetic moments at one of the atoms (here Mn) they will exhibit a fully compensated half-metallic ferrimagnetic state instead, in particular, when symmetry does not allow for antiferromagnetic order. With aid of magnetic and anomalous Hall effect measurements it is experimentally demonstrated that Mn1.5V0.5FeAl follows such a scenario. The ferrimagnetic state is tuned by the composition. A small residual magnetization, that arises due to a slight mismatch of the magnetic moments in the different sublattices results in a pronounced …

Magnetic dichroism in angular-resolved hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy from buried layers

This work reports the measurement of magnetic dichroism in angular-resolved photoemission from in-plane magnetized buried thin films. The high bulk sensitivity of hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) in combination with circularly polarized radiation enables the investigation of the magnetic properties of buried layers. HAXPES experiments with an excitation energy of 8 keV were performed on exchange-biased magnetic layers covered by thin oxide films. Two types of structures were investigated with the IrMn exchange-biasing layer either above or below the ferromagnetic layer: one with a CoFe layer on top and another with a Co$_2$FeAl layer buried beneath the IrMn layer. A pronounced…

Long-term stability of phase-separated half-Heusler compounds

Half-Heusler (HH) compounds have shown high figure of merit up to 1.5. Here, we address the long-term stability of n- and p-type HH materials. For this purpose, we investigated HH materials based on the Ti0.3Zr0.35Hf0.35NiSn-system after 500 cycles (1700 h) from 373 to 873 K. Both compounds exhibit a maximum Seebeck coefficient of |α|≈ 210 μV K(-1) and a phase separation into two HH phases. The dendritic microstructure is temperature resistant and upon cycling the changes in the microstructure are so marginal that the low thermal conductivity values (κ4 W m(-1) K(-1)) could be maintained. Our results emphasize that phase-separated HH compounds are suitable low cost materials and can lead to…

Design Scheme of New Tetragonal Heusler Compounds for Spin-Transfer Torque Applications and its Experimental Realization

Band Jahn-Teller type structural instabilities of cubic Mn(2)YZ Heusler compounds causing tetragonal distortions can be predicted by ab initio band-structure calculations. This allows for identification of new Heusler materials with tunable magnetic and structural properties that can satisfy the demands for spintronic applications, such as in spin-transfer torque-based devices.

Density of Phonon States in Superconducting FeSe as a Function of Temperature and Pressure

The temperature and pressure dependence of the partial density of phonon states (phonon-DOS) of iron atoms in superconducting ${\text{Fe}}_{1.01}\text{Se}$ was studied by $^{57}\text{F}\text{e}$ nuclear inelastic scattering. The high-energy resolution allows for a detailed observation of spectral properties. A sharpening of the optical phonon modes and shift of all spectral features toward higher energies by $\ensuremath{\sim}4\mathrm{%}$ with decreasing temperature from 296 to 10 K was found. However, no detectable change at the tetragonal--orthorhombic phase transition around 100 K was observed. Application of a pressure of 6.7 GPa, connected with an increase in the superconducting temper…

Magnetometry of buried layers—Linear magnetic dichroism and spin detection in angular resolved hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Abstract The electronic properties of buried magnetic nano-layers were studied using the linear magnetic dichroism in the angular distribution of photoemitted Fe, Co, and Mn 2p electrons from a CoFe–Ir78Mn22 multi-layered sample. The buried layers were probed using hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, HAXPES, at the undulator beamline P09 of the 3rd generation storage ring PETRA III. The results demonstrate that this magnetometry technique can be used as a sensitive element specific probe for magnetic properties suitable for application to buried ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic magnetic materials and multilayered spintronics devices. Using the same instrument, spin-resolved Fe 2p HAXP…

Tailoring the electronic structure of half-metallic Heusler alloys

We investigated element-specific magnetic moments and the spin-resolved unoccupied density of states (DOS) of polycrystalline ${\text{Co}}_{2}\text{Ti}Z$ $(Z=\text{Si},\text{ }\text{Ge},\text{ }\text{Sn},\text{ }\text{Sb})$, ${\text{Co}}_{2}{\text{Mn}}_{x}{\text{Ti}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}\text{Si}$ and ${\text{Co}}_{2}{\text{MnGa}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{Ge}}_{x}$ Heusler alloys using circular dichroism in x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XMCD). We find a small $(l0.03{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B})$ Ti moment oriented antiparallel and a large $(g3{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B})$ Mn moment oriented parallel to the Co moment of approximately $1{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ per atom in the investigated compounds. Orb…

Effect of cation disorder on the magnetic properties ofSr2Fe1−xGaxReO6(0&lt;x&lt;0.7)double perovskites

The effect of diamagnetic dilution of the Fe sublattice on the structural and magnetic properties of the double perovskite Sr{sub 2}Fe{sub 1-x}Ga{sub x}ReO{sub 6} (0 =}0.4 is detected by x-ray structural analysis accompanied by the observation of a magnetically ordered and a paramagnetic phase in the corresponding Moessbauer spectra. Below 20% Ga content, Ga statistically dilutes the -Fe-O-Re-O-Fe- double-exchange pathways. Phase separation begins at 20% Ga substitution; between 20% and 40% ofmore » Ga content, the paramagnetic Ga-based phase does not contain any Fe. The Fe-containing, paramagnetic cubic phases which can be detected by Moessbauer spectroscopy first appear for x=0.4.« less

Giant Negative Magnetoresistance in GdI2: Prediction and Realization

The electronic structure of the layered d1 compound GdI2 has been examined systematically in view of its relation to other layered d1 systems including superconducting and isostructural 2H-TaS2 and 2H-NbSe2. A van Hove type instability is evident in suitable representations of the Fermi surface. The presence of the half-filled and magnetic 4f level should preclude the possibility of superconductivity. Instead GdI2 orders ferromagnetically at 290(5) K and displays large negative magnetoresistance ≈70% at 7 T close to room temperature. This finding provides support to the idea that materials can be searched rationally for interesting properties through high level electronic structure calculat…

Preparation and properties of radio-frequency-sputtered half-Heusler films for use in solar cells

Abstract The class of half-Heusler compounds opens possibilities to find alternatives for II–VI or III–V compound semiconductors. We aim to find suitable substitutes for the cadmium sulphide buffer layer in chalcopyrite-based thin film solar cells, where the buffer layer is located between the p-type chalcopyrite absorber and an n-type transparent window layer. We report here the preparation of radio-frequency-sputtered lithium copper sulphide “LiCuS” and lithium zinc phosphide “LiZnP” films. The optical analysis of these films revealed band gaps between 1.8 and 2.5 eV, respectively. Chemical properties of the film surface and both interfaces between the film and a Cu ( In , Ga ) Se 2 layer…

Element-specific magnetic moments and spin-resolved density of states in CoFeMnZ(Z=Al, Ga; Si, Ge)

Using circular dichroism in x-ray-absorption spectroscopy (XAS/XMCD), we determined element-specific magnetic moments and spin-resolved unoccupied densities of states (DOS) for Co, Fe, and Mn in the quaternary Heusler compounds CoFeMn$Z$ ($Z=\text{Al}$, Ga; Si, Ge). These compounds belong to a class of highly spin-polarized materials with cubic LiMgPdSn-type structure. Different structure models for the sublattice occupation leading to similar average magnetization values can be distinguished by comparison of element-specific moments with theory. We find that the compounds form similar structures, where Co, Fe, Mn, and $Z$ occupy the $X$, ${X}^{\ensuremath{'}}$, $Y$, and $Z$ sublattice of t…

Electronic structure and optical, mechanical, and transport properties of the pure, electron-doped, and hole-doped Heusler compound CoTiSb

The Heusler compound CoTiSb was synthesized and investigated theoretically and experimentally with respect to electronic structure and optical, mechanical, and vibrational properties. The optical properties were investigated in a wide spectral range from 10 meV to 6.5 eV and compared with ab initio calculations. The optical spectra confirm the semiconducting nature of CoTiSb, with a strong exciton absorption at 1.83 eV. The calculated phonon dispersion as well as elastic constants verify the mechanical stability of CoTiSb in the cubic $C{1}_{b}$ system. Furthermore, solid solution series of CoTi${}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}$${M}_{x}$Sb ($M=\text{Sc}$, V and $0\ensuremath{\leqslant}x\ensuremath{\le…

Lattice Instability and Competing Spin Structures in the Double Perovskite Insulator Sr2FeOsO6

The semiconductor Sr2FeOsO6, depending on temperature, adopts two types of spin structures that differ in the spin sequence of ferrimagnetic iron - osmium layers along the tetragonal c-axis. Neutron powder diffraction experiments, 57Fe M\"ossbauer spectra, and density-functional theory calculations suggest that this behavior arises because a lattice instability resulting in alternating iron-osmium distances fine-tunes the balance of competing exchange interactions. Thus, Sr2FeOsO6 is an example for a double perovskite, in which the electronic phases are controlled by the interplay of spin, orbital, and lattice degrees of freedom.

Heusler Compounds—A Material Class With Exceptional Properties

The class of Heusler compounds, including the XYZ and the X2YZ compounds, has not only an endless number of members, but also a vast variety of properties can be found in this class of materials, ranging from semiconductors, half-metallic ferromagnets, superconductors, and topological insulators to shape memory alloys. With this review article, we would like to provide an overview of Heusler compounds, focusing on their structure, properties, and potential applications.

Magnetic dichroism in angle-resolved hard x-ray photoemission from buried layers

This work reports the measurement of magnetic dichroism in angular-resolved photoemission from in-plane magnetized buried thin films. The high bulk sensitivity of hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) in combination with circularly polarized radiation enables the investigation of the magnetic properties of buried layers. HAXPES experiments with an excitation energy of 8 keV were performed on exchange-biased magnetic layers covered by thin oxide films. Two types of structures were investigated with the IrMn exchange-biasing layer either above or below the ferromagnetic layer: one with a CoFe layer on top and another with a Co${}_{2}$FeAl layer buried beneath the IrMn layer. A pronou…

Two prospective Li-based half-Heusler alloys for spintronic applications based on structural stability and spin–orbit effect

To search for half-metallic materials for spintronic applications, instead of using an expensive trial-and-error experimental scheme, it is more efficient to use first-principles calculations to design materials first, and then grow them. In particular, using a priori information of the structural stability and the effect of the spin–orbit interaction (SOI) enables experimentalists to focus on favorable properties that make growing half-metals easier. We suggest that using acoustic phonon spectra is the best way to address the stability of promising half-metallic materials. Additionally, by carrying out accurate first-principles calculations, we propose two criteria for neglecting the SOI s…

Electronic Properties, Band Structure, and Fermi Surface Instabilities ofNi1+/Ni2+NickelateLa3Ni2O6, Isoelectronic with Superconducting Cuprates

Electronic structure calculations were performed for the mixed-valent Ni(1+)/Ni(2+) nickelate La3Ni2O6, which exhibits electronic instabilities of the Fermi surface similar to that of the isostructural superconducting La2CaCu2O6 cuprate. La3Ni2O6 shows activated hopping, which fits to Mott's variable-range-hopping model with localized states near the Fermi level. However, a simple local spin density approximation calculation leads to a metallic ground state. The calculations including local density approximation+Hubbard U and hybrid functionals indicate a multiply degenerate magnetic ground state. For electron-doped La2ZrNi2O6, which is isoelectronic with La2CaCu2O6, an antiferromagnetic in…

Half-Heusler materials as model systems for phase-separated thermoelectrics

Semiconducting half-Heusler compounds based on NiSn and CoSb have attracted attention because of their good performance as thermoelectric materials. Nanostructuring of the materials was experimentally established through phase separation in (T1−x′Tx″)T(M1−yMy′) alloys when mixing different transition metals (T, T′, T″) or main group elements (M, M′). The electric transport properties of such alloys depend not only on their micro- or nanostructure but also on the atomic-scale electronic structure. In the present work, the influence of the band structure and density of states on the electronic transport and thermoelectric properties is investigated in detail for the constituents of phase-sepa…

A nondestructive analysis of the B diffusion in Ta–CoFeB–MgO–CoFeB–Ta magnetic tunnel junctions by hard x-ray photoemission

This work reports on hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HAXPES) of CoFeB based tunnel junctions. Aim is to explain the role of the boron diffusion for the observed improvement of the tunneling magnetoresistance ratio with increasing annealing temperature. The high bulk sensitivity of HAXPES was used as a nondestructive technique to analyze CoFeB–MgO–CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions. The investigated samples were processed at different annealing temperatures from 523 to 923 K. Hard x-ray core level spectroscopy reveals an enforced diffusion of boron from the CoFeB into the adjacent Ta layer with increasing annealing temperature. The dependence of the tunneling magnetoresistance on the ann…

Differences and Similarities between the Isotypic AntimonidesMFe1−xSb, ScCo1−xSb, andMNiSb (M=Zr, Hf)

The new antimonides MFe{sub 1{minus}x}Sb can be synthesized by arc-melting of M, Fe, and MSb{sub 2} (M = Zr, Hf). All title compounds crystallize in the TiNiSi structure type (space group Pnma, Z = 4). The lattice parameters of the new phases of MFe{sub 1{minus}x}Sb, as obtained from the bulk samples of the nominal compositions MFeSb, are a = 681.4(1) pm, b = 417.87(7) pm, c = 740.3(1) pm for ZrFe{sub 1{minus}x}Sb and a = 674.0(1) pm, b = 412.0(2) pm, c = 729.7(2) pm for HfFe{sub 1{minus}x}Sb. Under the reaction conditions used, the occupancy factors of the iron position content of ZrFe{sub 1{minus}x}Sb does not exceed 68(1)% (i.e., x = 0.32(1)). Extended Hueckel calculations, performed on …

Magnetic and Structural Properties of Heusler Compounds with 27.8 Valence Electrons 

Co2-based Heusler compounds with 27.8 valence electrons exhibit an exceptional electronic structure that makes them interesting materials for the application in spintronics. Co2Cr0.6Fe0.4Al is the most prominent example of this particular family of compounds. In this article new materials of this class are tested with respect to their structural and magnetic properties. X-ray diffraction, Mossbauer spectroscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and SQUID magnetometry were carried out to characterize the compounds. The use of Co2Fe0.45Ti0.55Ge as a new material in spintronic devices is suggested.

Topological Insulators in Ternary Compounds with a Honeycomb Lattice

One of the most exciting subjects in solid state physics is a single layer of graphite which exhibits a variety of unconventional novel properties. The key feature of its electronic structure are linear dispersive bands which cross in a single point at the Fermi energy. This so-called Dirac cone is closely related to the surface states of the recently discovered topological insulators. The ternary compounds, such as LiAuSe and KHgSb with a honeycomb structure of their Au-Se and Hg-Sb layers feature band inversion very similar to HgTe which is a strong precondition for existence of the topological surface states. In contrast to graphene with two Dirac cones at K and K' points, these material…

Phase separation in superconducting and antiferromagneticRb0.8Fe1.6Se2probed by Mössbauer spectroscopy

${}^{57}$Fe-M\"ossbauer studies of superconducting Rb${}_{0.8}$Fe${}_{1.6}$Se${}_{2.0}$ with ${T}_{C}$ $=$ 32.4 K were performed on single-crystalline and polycrystalline samples in the temperature range 4.2--295 K. They reveal the presence of 88% magnetic and 12% nonmagnetic Fe${}^{2+}$ species with the same polarization dependence of their hyperfine spectra. The magnetic species are attributed to the 16$i$ sites of the $\sqrt{5}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\sqrt{5}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}1$ superstructure and the nonmagnetic Fe species to a nanosized phase observed in recent structural studies of superconducting K${}_{x}$Fe${}_{2\ensuremath{-}}$${}_{y}$Se${}_{2}$ systems ra…

Reducing the Schottky barrier height at the MoSe2/Mo(110) interface in thin-film solar cells: Insights from first-principles calculations

Abstract We report on first-principles calculations of the properties of the MoSe2/Mo(110) interface. Due to mismatch between the lattice parameters of the two structures, different patterns can form at the interface. We have studied the formation energy and the band alignment of six patterns for the MoSe2 (0001)/Mo(110) interface and one pattern for the MoSe2 (11 2 0)/Mo(110) interface. The MoSe2 (11 2 0)/Mo(110) interface is more stable than the MoSe 2 (0001)/Mo(110) interface and in contrast to MoSe2 (0001)/Mo(110), no Schottky barrier forms at MoSe2 (11 2 0)/Mo(110). Doping with Na modifies the band alignment at the interfaces. The Schottky barrier height decreases, provided that a Na a…

Large Zero-Field Cooled Exchange-Bias in BulkMn2PtGa

We report a large exchange-bias (EB) effect after zero-field cooling the new tetragonal Heusler compound Mn2PtGa from the paramagnetic state. The first-principle calculation and the magnetic measurements reveal that Mn2PtGa orders ferrimagnetically with some ferromagnetic (FM) inclusions. We show that ferrimagnetic (FI) ordering is essential to isothermally induce the exchange anisotropy needed for the zero-field cooled (ZFC) EB during the virgin magnetization process. The complex magnetic behavior at low temperatures is characterized by the coexistence of a field induced irreversible magnetic behavior and a spin-glass-like phase. The field induced irreversibility originates from an unusual…

The role of correlations in the high-pressure phase of FeSe

This study addresses the structural and electronic properties of the NiAs- and MnP-type phases dominating in FeSe at high pressures. The analysis is performed using first-principle band structure calculations within the framework of the B3LYP hybrid exchange-correlation functional. Based on the volume-pressure relation deduced from the available experimental data, we optimize the form and internal coordinates of the unit cell, which agree reasonably well with experiment. In particular, the present calculations resolve the structural NiAs-MnP phase transition which occurs at about 10 GPa. Both structures are found to be semiconducting at low pressures and metallizing at about 80-90 GPa. Usin…

Pressure effect on superconductivity in FeSe0.5Te0.5

Due to the simple layered structure, isostructural FeSe and FeSe0.5Te0.5 are clue compounds for understanding the principal mechanisms of superconductivity in the family of Fe-based superconductors. High-pressure magnetic, structural and Mossbauer studies have been performed on single-crystalline samples of superconducting FeSe0.5Te0.5 with Tc = 13.5 K. Susceptibility data have revealed a strong increase of Tc up to 19.5 K for pressures up to 1.3 GPa, followed by a plateau in the Tc(p) dependence up to 5.0 GPa. Further pressure increase leads to a disappearance of the superconducting state around 7.0 GPa. X-ray diffraction and Mossbauer studies explain this fact by a tetragonal-to-hexagonal…

Quaternary half-metallic Heusler ferromagnets for spintronics applications

This work reports on three quaternary Heusler compounds NiFeMnGa, NiCoMnGa, and CuCoMnGa. In contrast to their ternary relatives, quaternary Heusler compounds are still rarely investigated. A very large pool of interesting materials lies thus idle waiting for exploration. The difficulty consists in choosing prospective compositions, and trial and error is elaborate and expensive. We have identified several candidates employing ab initioelectronic-structure calculations. The compounds were synthesized, and the structural and magnetic properties were investigated experimentally. CuCoMnGa is a quaternary Heusler compound; NiFeMnGa and NiCoMnGa are unreported half-metallic ferromagnetic materia…

Valence instabilities and inhomogeneous mixed valence in some ternary europium compounds

Abstract Photoemission spectra and TB-LMTO-ASA band structure calculations of some mixed valency europium compounds hve been studied. The band structures are compared with the band structures of the isostructural lanthanum and strontium compounds. Surprisingly a 4f density of states in the vicinity of the Fermi level is observed in inhomogenous mixed valency EuPd 3 B, Eu 3 S 4 , and EuPdP. Indeed a van Hove Singularity (vHS) derived from the d states of La and Pd or p states of boron or phosphorous are found in La 3 S 4 , LaPd 3 B and SrPdP. The valence instability in the Eu compounds is thus not necessarily due to Eu 4f states. The results also provide some ground for the assumption that i…

Indium-Gallium Segregation inCuInxGa1−xSe2: AnAb Initio–Based Monte Carlo Study

Thin-film solar cells with ${\mathrm{CuIn}}_{x}{\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Se}}_{2}$ (CIGS) absorber are still far below their efficiency limit, although lab cells already reach 20.1%. One important aspect is the homogeneity of the alloy. Large-scale simulations combining Monte Carlo and density functional calculations show that two phases coexist in thermal equilibrium below room temperature. Only at higher temperatures, CIGS becomes more and more a homogeneous alloy. A larger degree of inhomogeneity for Ga-rich CIGS persists over a wide temperature range, which contributes to the observed low efficiency of Ga-rich CIGS solar cells.

Thin epitaxial films of the Heusler compound

Abstract We prepared thin films of the Heusler compound Co 2 Cr 0.6 Fe 0.4 Al with the B2 structure on a-plane (1 1  2 ¯  0) Al 2 O 3 by sputtering. Films grown at high temperatures ( T ⩾ 600 ∘ C ) on Al 2 O 3 are fully epitaxial with the (1 1 0) and (1  1 ¯  0) planes of the film parallel to the (1 1  2 ¯  0) and (0 0 0 1) planes of the substrate, respectively. These epitaxial films possess a higher surface roughness than films grown at room temperature. The films show nearly rectangular hysteresis loops with coercive fields of the order of 10 mT. Magnetooptical Kerr measurements show an in-plane anisotropy of the magnetization with the easy axis in { 0 0 1 } direction. Hall measurements s…

Bei Raumtemperatur flüssige ionische Verbindungen auf Dysprosium-Basis mit starker Lumineszenz und Reaktion auf magnetische Felder

Tuning the carrier concentration for thermoelectrical application in the quaternary Heusler compound Co2TiAl(1−x)Six

The family of half-metallic ferromagnets Co2TiZ exhibits exceptional transport properties. The investigated compounds Co2TiAl(1−x)Six (x = 0.25, 0.5, 0.75) show Curie temperatures (TCs) that vary between 250 and 350 K, depending on the composition. Above TC the Seebeck coefficient remains constant. This makes them promising candidates for thermoelectric devices such as thermocouples with a tunable working range. The electrical resistivity data show an anomaly at TC which is attributed to changes in the electronic structure and therefore in the carrier concentration.

ChemInform Abstract: Tl2Au4S3: x = 4/3 Member of the Series A2-xAuxQ. Preparation and an Analysis of Its Gold-Gold Bonding.

Magnetic polyorganosiloxane core–shell nanoparticles: Synthesis, characterization and magnetic fractionation

Abstact Here, we present the synthesis, characterization and magnetic separation of magnetic polyorganosiloxane nanoparticles. Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with average particle radii of 3.2 nm had been synthesized by a simple coprecipitation process of iron(II) and iron(III) salt in basic solution. Afterwards, the particles were successfully incorporated into a polyorganosiloxane network via a polycondensation reaction of trimethoxymethylsilane (T), diethoxydimethylsilane (D) and the functional monomer (chloromethylphenyl)trimethoxysilane (ClBz-T) in aqueous dispersion. A core–shell system was chosen to increase the flexibility of the system concerning size, composition and functional…

A spatially resolved investigation of the local, micro-magnetic domain structure of single and polycrystalline Co2FeSi

The Heusler compound Co2FeSi is a promising material for magneto-electronic devices. With a Curie temperature of 1100?K and a saturation magnetization of 6?Bohr magnetons and a high spin polarization at the Fermi edge it fulfils the essential requirements for magnetic sensors or spin valve structures. An essential feature for such devices is the micro-magnetic domain structure. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism?photo emission electron microscopy has been used for a direct observation of the domain structure of single- and polycrystalline samples. The polycrystalline material exhibits a micro-magnetic ripple structure, as it is well known for pure Co and other polycrystalline Heusler compoun…

Epitaxial growth and thermoelectric properties of TiNiSn and Zr0.5Hf0.5NiSn thin films

Abstract Due to their exceptional thermoelectric properties Half-Heusler alloys like MNiSn (M = Ti,Zr,Hf) have moved into focus. The growth of single crystalline thin film TiNiSn and Zr 0.5 Hf 0.5 NiSn by dc magnetron sputtering is reported. Seebeck and resistivity measurements were performed and their dependence on epitaxial quality is shown. Seebeck coefficient, specific resistivity and power factor for Zr 0.5 Hf 0.5 NiSn at room temperature were measured to be 63 μV K − 1 , 14.1 μΩ m and 0.28 mW K − 2  m − 1 , respectively. Multilayers of TiNiSn and Zr 0.5 Hf 0.5 NiSn are promising candidates to increase the thermoelectric figure-of-merit by decreasing thermal conductivity perpendicular …

Phase separation in the quaternary Heusler compound CoTi(1−x)MnxSb – A reduction in the thermal conductivity for thermoelectric applications

We investigate the phase separation of the solid solution CoTi(1−x)MnxSb into the two Heusler compounds CoTiSb and CoMnSb. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy measurements on the two-phase material reveal the presence of size- and shape-tunable CoTiSb regions in a CoMnSb matrix. We demonstrate that the formed phase and grain boundaries have a considerable influence on the phonon scattering processes, which leads to a reduction in the thermal conductivity by a factor of three compared to single-phase CoTiSb.

Bulk sensitive photo emission spectroscopy of C1b compounds

This work reports about bulk-sensitive, high energy photoelectron spectroscopy from the valence band of CoTiSb excited by photons from 1.2 to 5 keV energy. The high energy photoelectron spectra were taken at the KMC-1 high energy beamline of BESSY II employing the recently developed Phoibos 225 HV analyser. The measurements show a good agreement to calculations of the electronic structure using the LDA scheme. It is shown that the high energy spectra reveal the bulk electronic structure better compared to low energy XPS spectra.

Seebeck coefficients of half-metallic ferromagnets

In this report the Co2 based Heusler compounds are discussed as potential materials for spin voltage generation. The compounds were synthesized by arcmelting and consequent annealing. Band structure calculations were performed and revealed the compounds to be half-metallic ferromagnets. Magnetometry was performed on the samples and the Curie temperatures and the magnetic moments were determined. The Seebeck coefficients were measured from low to ambient temperatures for all compounds. For selected compounds high temperature measurements up to 900 K were performed.

Magneto-optical characterization of single crystalline Co2FeAl0.4Si0.6thin films on MgO(1 0 0) substrates with Cr and MgO seed layers

We report on the experimental investigation of the influence of a seed layer on the magnetic properties of the full-Heusler alloy Co2FeAl0.4Si0.6 (CFAS). The studied magnetic films are grown epitaxially on MgO (1 0 0) substrates with Cr and/or MgO seed layers. By employing magneto-optical Kerr effect magnetometry we show that magnetic anisotropy can be tuned by choosing the proper seed layer. The results on CFAS show an overall uniaxial anisotropy plus a biaxial contribution which depends on the seed layer. In addition, if grown on MgO, a sharp increase in the coercive field HC at a series of angles symmetric with respect to the easy axis is present. Scanning Kerr-microscope imaging is perf…

Magnetic properties of Co2Mn1−xFexSi Heusler alloys

Co2Mn1−xFexSi Heusler alloys with Fe concentration x = 0–0.4 as prepared by arc melting show a L21 long range order for all Fe concentrations. Magnetic properties of Co2Mn1−xFexSi Heusler alloys were investigated by magnetometry and circular magnetic dichroism. The magnetization of the Fe doped Heusler alloys is in agreement with the Slater–Pauling values expected for half-metallic ferromagnets. Element specific magnetic moments as determined by x-ray absorption using the total electron yield method are in disagreement with theoretical predictions for x = 0 but approach the predicted values as the Fe concentration increases. Surprisingly small Fe concentration increases the magnetic moments…

Spintronics: a challenge for materials science and solid-state chemistry.

Spintronics is a multidisciplinary field involving physics, chemistry, and engineering, and is a new research area for solid-state scientists. A variety of new materials must be found to satisfy different demands. The search for ferromagnetic semiconductors and stable half-metallic ferromagnets with Curie temperatures higher than room temperature remains a priority for solid-state chemistry. A general understanding of structure-property relationships is a necessary prerequisite for the design of new materials. In this Review, the most important developments in the field of spintronics are described from the point of view of materials science.

Crystal structure and magnetism of the double perovskites A2FeReO6 (A=Ca, Sr, Ba)

Abstract We synthesized a series of double perovskites A 2 FeReO 6 (A=Ca, Sr, Ba) with Curie temperatures above room-temperature. Neutron and X-ray diffraction analysis have been performed in order to determine the structural and (local) magnetic properties of these materials. While Ba 2 FeReO 6 stays cubic over the whole temperature range we examined, the Sr-compound shows a tetragonal distortion of the perovskite structure which does not completely vanish up to about 520 K far above T C . Ca 2 FeReO 6 has a monoclinic unit cell at high temperatures. Below 400 K a phase separation in two monoclinic phases with identical cell volume is observed in neutron scattering.

A microscopic model for long-term laser damage in calcium fluoride

Single crystal calcium fluoride (CaF 2 ) is an important lens material in deep-ultraviolet optics, where it is exposed to high radiation densities. The known rapid damage process in CaF 2 upon ArF laser irradiation cannot account for irreversible damage after long irradiation times. We use density functional methods to calculate the properties of laser-induced point defects and to investigate defect stabilization mechanisms on a microscopic level. The mobility of the point defects plays a major role in the defect stabilization mechanisms. Besides stabilization by impurities, we find that the agglomeration of F-centers plays a significant role in long-term laser damage of CaF 2 . We present …

Pressure effect on superconductivity in FeSe0.5Te0.5

Due to the simple layered structure, isostructural FeSe and FeSe0.5Te0.5 are clue compounds for understanding the principal mechanisms of superconductivity in the family of Fe-based superconductors. High-pressure magnetic, structural and M\"ossbauer studies have been performed on single-crystalline samples of superconducting FeSe0.5Te0.5 with Tc = 13.5 K. Susceptibility data have revealed a strong increase of Tc up to 19.5 K for pressures up to 1.3 GPa, followed by a plateau in the Tc(p) dependence up to 5.0 GPa. Further pressure increase leads to a disappearance of the superconducting state around 7.0 GPa. X-ray diffraction and M\"ossbauer studies explain this fact by a tetragonal-to-hexag…

Probing the Size Effect of Co2FeGa-SiO2@C Nanocomposite Particles Prepared by a Chemical Approach

In this contribution, we report the chemical synthesis of carbon coated, silica supported Co2FeGa (Co2FeGa-SiO2@C) nanocomposite particles. The particle size of Co2FeGa particles can be tuned by varying the amount of silica supports. The dependences of the crystal structure and magnetic properties on particle size have been investigated by synchrotron radiation based X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope (TEM), 57Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy, and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The superparamagnetic critical size of Co2FeGa Heusler nanoparticles is found to be ∼17 nm by correlating the TEM derived par…

Geometric, electronic, and magnetic structure ofCo2FeSi: Curie temperature and magnetic moment measurements and calculations

In this work a simple concept was used for a systematic search for materials with high spin polarization. It is based on two semiempirical models. First, the Slater-Pauling rule was used for estimation of the magnetic moment. This model is well supported by electronic structure calculations. The second model was found particularly for ${\mathrm{Co}}_{2}$ based Heusler compounds when comparing their magnetic properties. It turned out that these compounds exhibit seemingly a linear dependence of the Curie temperature as function of the magnetic moment. Stimulated by these models, ${\mathrm{Co}}_{2}\mathrm{FeSi}$ was revisited. The compound was investigated in detail concerning its geometrical…

Einfluss des Sauerstoffgehalts auf die physikalischen Eigenschaften von Sr2MO3Cl (M = Fe, Co)

Theoretical study of Zn and Cd interstitials and substitutional interstitials in CuInSe2 via hybrid functional calculations

We have investigated the formation of Zn and Cd interstitials in the CuInSe2 solar cell material via density-functional-theory (DFT) calculations by employing the HSE06 hybrid functional. The computed formation energies for Zn interstitials were in the range of 2.09-2.68 e V, and in the range of 2.04-2.25 eV for substitutional interstitials. In constrast, the formation energies of Cd interstitials and substitutional interstitials were between 1.85-2.75 eV and 2.41-2.64 eV, respectively. Thus, these results indicate, that Cd interstitials are more likely to be formed than Zn interstitials, and that in case of Zn inclusion into CuInSe2 Zn atoms will prefer to adopt substitutional interstitial…

Searching for hexagonal analogues of the half-metallic half-Heusler XYZ compounds

The XYZ half-Heusler crystal structure can conveniently be described as a tetrahedral zinc blende YZ structure which is stuffed by a slightly ionic X species. This description is well suited to understand the electronic structure of semiconducting 8-electron compounds such as LiAlSi (formulated Li$^+$[AlSi]$^-$) or semiconducting 18-electron compounds such as TiCoSb (formulated Ti$^{4+}$[CoSb]$^{4-}$). The basis for this is that [AlSi]$^-$ (with the same electron count as Si$_2$) and [CoSb]$^{4-}$ (the same electron count as GaSb), are both structurally and electronically, zinc-blende semiconductors. The electronic structure of half-metallic ferromagnets in this structure type can then be d…

Investigation of the Thermoelectric Properties of the Series TiCo1-xNixSnxSb1-x

The effect of the simultaneous substitution of cobalt by nickel and antimony by tin in the solid solution TiCo1–xNixSnxSb1–x was systematically investigated. The number of valence electrons does not change by this substitution and therefore the resistivity stays semimetallic or semiconducting. The series were synthesized by arcmelting and the thermoelectric properties were determined. It was found out that the substitution of cobalt and antimony by nickel and tin reduces the thermal conductivity to 2 W·m–1·K–1 at 400 K. The reduction is caused by titanium rich prolate micro structures that were found by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy investigations. The Seebeck coefficient and the res…

Electronic structure and transport properties of the Heusler compound Co2TiAl

The properties of the Heusler compound Co2TiAl were investigated in detail by experimental techniques and theoretical methods. X-ray diffraction measurements indicate that as-cast samples of the compound exhibit the L21 structure with a small amount of B2-type disorder. This leads to a reduced saturation magnetization per formula unit of 0.747 μB. The Curie temperature is approximately 120 K. The transport properties are influenced by the change in the electronic structure at the Curie temperature, as revealed experimentally by conductivity, thermal transport and specific heat measurements. Different theoretical models based on ab initio calculations of the electronic structure are used to …

Pressure-induced magnetic collapse and metallization of TlFe1.6Se2

The crystal structure, magnetic ordering, and electrical resistivity of $\mathrm{TlF}{\mathrm{e}}_{1.6}\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{e}}_{2}$ were studied at high pressures. Below $\ensuremath{\sim}7\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{GPa}$, $\mathrm{TlF}{\mathrm{e}}_{1.6}\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{e}}_{2}$ is an antiferromagnetically ordered semiconductor with a $\mathrm{ThC}{\mathrm{r}}_{2}\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{i}}_{2}$-type structure. The insulator-to-metal transformation observed at a pressure of $\ensuremath{\sim}7\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{GPa}$ is accompanied by a loss of magnetic ordering and an isostructural phase transition. In the pressure range $\ensuremath{\sim}7.5\text{--}11\phantom{\rule{…

Rational design of new materials for spintronics: Co2FeZ (Z=Al, Ga, Si, Ge)

Spintronic is a multidisciplinary field and a new research area. New materials must be found for satisfying the different types of demands. The search for stable half-metallic ferromagnets and ferromagnetic semiconductors with Curie temperatures higher than room temperature is still a challenge for solid state scientists. A general understanding of how structures are related to properties is a necessary prerequisite for material design. Computational simulations are an important tool for a rational design of new materials. The new developments in this new field are reported from the point of view of material scientists. The development of magnetic Heusler compounds specifically designed as …

Pressure-restored superconductivity in Cu-substituted FeSe

Copper doping of FeSe destroys its superconductivity at ambient pressure, even at low doping levels. Here we report the pressure-dependent transport and structural properties of Fe${}_{1.01\ensuremath{-}x}$Cu${}_{x}$Se with 3$%$ and 4$%$ Cu doping and find that the superconductivity is restored. Metallic resistivity behavior, absent in Cu-doped FeSe, is also restored. At the low pressure of 1.5 GPa, superconductivity is seen at 6 K for 4$%$ Cu doping, somewhat lower than the 8 K ${T}_{c}$ of undoped FeSe. ${T}_{c}$ reaches its maximum of 31.3 K at 7.8 GPa, lower than the maximum superconducting temperature in the undoped material under pressure (${T}_{c}$ max of 37 K) but still very high. X…

Enhanced orbital magnetic moments in the Heusler compounds ,,

Abstract Using the magnetic circular dichroism in X-ray absorption at the L2,3-edges of the 3d-transition metals, we determined the element specific ratio between orbital and spin magnetic moment of the Heusler compounds Co 2 CrAl , Co 2 Cr 0.6 Fe 0.4 Al and Co2FeAl. The orbital magnetic moment per spin is large (0.1–0.2) compared to bulk values of Fe and Co metals.

Crystal structure and physical properties of Mg6Cu16Si7-type M6Ni16Si7, for M=Mg, Sc, Ti, Nb, and Ta

Five compounds were investigated for magnetic character and superconductivity, all with non-magnetic nickel and band structures containing flat bands and steep bands. The syntheses and crystal structures, refined by powder X-ray diffraction, are reported for M{sub 6}Ni{sub 16}Si{sub 7}, where M = Mg, Sc, Ti, Nb, and Ta. All compounds form in the Mg{sub 6}Cu{sub 16}Si{sub 7} structure type. Resistance measurements are also reported on M{sub 6}Ni{sub 16}Si{sub 7} (M = Mg, Sc, Ti, and Nb) down to 0.3 K, with all four showing metallic conductivity. No superconductivity is observed. Magnetization measurements for all compounds reveal essentially temperature independent paramagnetism, with a tend…

Long-Term Stability of (Ti/Zr/Hf)CoSb1−xSnxThermoelectric p-Type Half-Heusler Compounds Upon Thermal Cycling

The effect of thermal cycling upon the thermoelectric performance of state-of-the-art p-type half-Heusler materials was investigated and correlated with the impact on the structural properties. We simulated a heat treatment of the material similar to actual applications in the mid-temperature range, such as occurs during the energy conversion from an automotive exhaust pipe. We compared three different compositions based on the (Ti/Zr/Hf)CoSb1−xSnx system. The best and most reliable performance was achieved using Ti0.5Hf0.5CoSb0.85Sn0.15, which reached a maximum figure of merit ZT of 1.1 at 700 °C. The intrinsic phase separation and resulting microstructuring, which are responsible for the …

Helical magnetic structure and the anomalous and topological Hall effects in epitaxial B20 Fe$_{1-y}$Co$_y$Ge films

Epitaxial films of the B20-structure compound Fe1−yCoyGe were grown by molecular beam epitaxy on Si (111) substrates. The magnetization varied smoothly from the bulklike values of one Bohr magneton per Fe atom for FeGe to zero for nonmagnetic CoGe. The chiral lattice structure leads to a Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), and the films' helical magnetic ground state was confirmed using polarized neutron reflectometry measurements. The pitch of the spin helix, measured by this method, varies with Co content y and diverges at y∼0.45. This indicates a zero crossing of the DMI, which we reproduced in calculations using first-principles methods. We also measured the longitudinal and Hall r…

Large negative magnetoresistance effects in Co2Cr0.6Fe0.4Al

Abstract Materials, which display large changes in resistivity in response to an applied magnetic field (magnetoresistance) are currently of great interest due to their potential for applications in magnetic sensors, magnetic random access memories, and spintronics. Guided by striking features in the electronic structure of several magnetic compounds, we prepared the Heusler compound Co2Cr0.6Fe0.4Al. Based on our band structure calculations, we have chosen this composition in order to obtain a half-metallic ferromagnet with a van Hove singularity in the vicinity of the Fermi energy in the majority spin channel and a gap in the minority spin channel. We find a magnetoresistive effect of 30% …

Crystal Structure of Heusler Compounds

Heusler compounds are promising materials in many fields of contemporary research. The spectrum of their possible applications ranges from magnetic and magneto-mechanical materials over semiconductors and thermoelectrics to superconductors. An important feature of the Heusler compounds is the possibility of controlling the valence electron concentration by partial substitution of elements. On the other hand, the properties also depend on the degree of ordering of the crystal structure. In general, Heusler compounds crystallize in the Cu2MnAl-type structure but in many cases certain types of disorder are observed. In this chapter, a detailed description of the crystal structure as well as di…

Quaternary Heusler compounds Co(2-x)Rh(x)MnZ (Z = Ga, Sn, Sb): crystal structure, electronic structure, and magnetic properties.

Within the huge family of Heusler compounds only a few quaternary derivatives are known that crystallize in the F43m space group. In this work, the yet unreported compounds CoRhMnZ (Z = Ga, Sn, Sb) and the alloy Co(0.5)Rh(1.5)MnSb were investigated in detail by experimental techniques and theoretical methods. The ab initio calculations predict the CoRhMnZ compounds to be half-metallic ferromagnets or to be close to the half-metallic ferromagnetic state. Calculations of the elastic constants show that the cubic structure is stable in compounds containing Mn. Both calculations and experiment reveal that Mn cannot be exchanged by Fe (CoRhFeGa). The low temperature magnetization of the compound…

Structural properties of the quaternary Heusler compound Co2 Cr1−x Fex Al

Abstract The structural and chemical properties of the quaternary Heusler compound Co2 Cr1−x Fex Al were investigated comparing powder and bulk samples. The long range order was determined by means of X-ray diffraction, while the site specific (short range) order was proved by the extended X-ray absorption fine structure method (EXAFS). The chemical composition was analysed by means of X-ray photo emission spectroscopy (XPS) combined with Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) depth profiling. The results from these methods are compared to get a detailed idea about the differences between surface and bulk properties and appearance of disorder in such alloys.

Heusler Compounds at a Glance

The class of Heusler compounds, including the XYZ and the X 2 YZ compounds, does not only have an endless number of members, but also a vast variety of properties can be found in this class of materials, ranging from semi-conductors, half-metallic ferromagnets, superconductors, and topological insulators to shape memory alloys. With this chapter, we would like to provide an overview of Heusler compounds, focusing on basis design principles, their properties and potential applications.

Heusler compounds as ternary intermetallic nanoparticles: Co2FeGa

This work describes the preparation of ternary nanoparticles based on the Heusler compound Co2FeGa. Nanoparticles with sizes of about 20?nm were synthesized by reducing a methanol impregnated mixture of CoCl2 ? 6H2O, Fe(NO3)3 ? 9H2O and Ga(NO3)3 ? xH2O after loading on fumed silica. The dried samples were heated under pure H2 gas at 900??C. The obtained nanoparticles?embedded in silica?were investigated by means of x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy, temperature dependent magnetometry and M??bauer spectroscopy. All methods clearly revealed the Heusler-type L21 structure of the nanoparticles. In particular, anomalous XRD data demonstrate the correct composition in addi…

Extreme sensitivity of superconductivity to stoichiometry in Fe1+?Se

The recently discovered iron arsenide superconductors appear to display a universal set of characteristic features, including proximity to a magnetically ordered state and robustness of the superconductivity in the presence of disorder. Here we show that superconductivity in Fe1+?Se, which can be considered the parent compound of the superconducting arsenide family, is destroyed by very small changes in stoichiometry. Further, we show that nonsuperconducting Fe1+?Se is not magnetically ordered down to 5 K. These results suggest that robust superconductivity and immediate instability against an ordered magnetic state should not be considered as intrinsic characteristics of iron-based superco…

Magnetic and electronic properties of double perovskites and estimation of their Curie temperatures byab initiocalculations

First principles electronic structure calculations have been carried out on ordered double perovskites Sr_2B'B"O_6 (for B' = Cr or Fe and B" 4d and 5d transition metal elements) with increasing number of valence electrons at the B-sites, and on Ba_2MnReO_6 as well as Ba_2FeMoO_6. The Curie temperatures are estimated ab initio from the electronic structures obtained with the local spin-density functional approximation, full-potential generalized gradient approximation and/or the LDA+U method (U - Hubbard parameter). Frozen spin-spirals are used to model the excited states needed to evaluate the spherical approximation for the Curie temperatures. In cases, where the induced moments on the oxy…

Metal−Metal Bonding and Metallic Behavior in Some ABO2 Delafossites

We present results of ab initio band structure calculations on some ABO2 delafossite oxides that have both the A and B sites occupied by transition metals. This class of materials includes insulators as well as some of the most conducting oxides. The calculations have been performed in order to understand the nature of the metallic and insulating states and the extensive metal−metal bonding displayed by these materials. The effect of polytypism on the electronic structure is examined. Among the interesting aspects of the electronic structure of these materials are the contributions from both A and B atoms to states near the Fermi energy and the highly disperse nature of bands derived from t…

Doped semiconductors as half-metallic materials: Experiments and first-principles calculations ofCoTi1−xMxSb(M=Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe)

This work reports experiments and first-principles calculations on the substitutional semiconducting $C{1}_{b}$ compound $\mathrm{Co}{\mathrm{Ti}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{M}_{x}\mathrm{Sb}$. Diluted magnetic semiconductors have been prepared by substituting titanium in the semiconducting compound CoTiSb by other $3d$ transition elements $M$. Self-consistent calculations of the electronic structure predict some of the materials to be half-metallic ferromagnets. The structural, electronic, electric, and magnetic properties of the pure and substituted materials have been investigated. It is found from the experiments that substitution of up to 10% Ti by Fe, Mn, Cr, and V does not affect the crystal…

Effect of pressure on superconductivity in NaAlSi

The ternary superconductor NaAlSi, isostructural with LiFeAs, the ``111'' iron pnictide superconductor, is investigated under pressure. The structure remains stable up to 15 GPa. Resistivity and susceptibility measurements show an increase of ${T}_{c}$ up to 2 GPa, followed by a decrease until superconductivity disappears at 4.8 GPa. Band structure calculations show that pressure should have a negligible effect on the electronic structure and the Fermi surface and thus the disappearance of superconductivity under pressure must have a different origin. We compare the electronic structure of NaAlSi under pressure with that of nonsuperconducting isostructural NaAlGe.

Electroless synthesis of lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH) nanotubes in ion track etched polycarbonate templates

In this study, we describe the electroless synthesis of lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH) nanotubes produced in ion track etched polycarbonate foils. The foils act as templates after they had been irradiated with heavy ions to produce latent tracks that were etched with a desired diameter. Templates are used to fabricate shape formed 1D nanostructures in general. The synthesis of lepidocrocite nanotubes was carried out in a simple two-step method: firstly, particles were formed by precipitation in aqueous solution; secondly, nanotubes were produced by the deposition of the particles inside the nanochannels of the polycarbonate template. Solvent effects were considered to achieve homogeneous growth re…

Tunable multifunctional topological insulators in ternary Heusler compounds

Recently the Quantum Spin Hall effect (QSH) was theoretically predicted and experimentally realized in a quantum wells based on binary semiconductor HgTe[1-3]. QSH state and topological insulators are the new states of quantum matter interesting both for fundamental condensed matter physics and material science[1-11]. Many of Heusler compounds with C1b structure are ternary semiconductors which are structurally and electronically related to the binary semiconductors. The diversity of Heusler materials opens wide possibilities for tuning the band gap and setting the desired band inversion by choosing compounds with appropriate hybridization strength (by lattice parameter) and the magnitude o…

Thermoelectric properties of spark plasma sintered composites based on TiNiSn half-Heusler alloys

Half-Heusler (HH) and especially TiNiSn-based alloys have shown high potential as thermoelectric (TE) materials for power generation applications. The reported transport properties show, however, a significant spread of results, due mainly to the difficulty in fabricating single-phase HH samples in these multicomponent and multiphased systems. In particular, little attention has been paid to the influence of the various minority phases on the TE performance of these compounds. A clear understanding of these issues is mandatory for the design of improved and stable TE HH-based composites. This study examines the structural and compositional influence of the residual metallic (Sn) and interme…

Test of band structure calculations for Heusler compounds by spin-resolved photoemission spectroscopy

The electronic density of states of epitaxial thin films of the Heusler compound Co${}_{2}$MnGa is probed in situ by spin-resolved ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy. The experiments reveal several characteristic features in the intensity spectrum and a clear Fermi edge signature. A high spin polarization of $\ensuremath{\simeq}\phantom{\rule{-0.16em}{0ex}}55%$ at the Fermi edge is followed by a sign change at the binding energy of $\ensuremath{\simeq}$0.8 eV. Corresponding calculations of the band structure and the photoemission spectrum were performed employing a spin-polarized relativistic Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker code. Good agreement between the experimental data and calculations was …

Spin polarized tunneling at room temperature in a Heusler compound-a non-oxide material with a large negative magnetoresistance effect in low magnetic fields

Summary form only given. Materials which display large changes in resistivity in response to an applied magnetic field (magnetoresistance) are currently of great interest due to their potential for applications in magnetic sensors, magnetic random access memories, and spintronics-a new kind of electronics based on spin instead of charge. Although ferromagnetic manganites show colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) effects around their Curie temperature, the low field and nearly temperature independent magnetoresistance properties important for spintronics are found only at low temperatures. Guided by striking features in the electronic structure of several magnetic compounds, we prepared the Heus…

Influence of nanoscale order–disorder transitions on the magnetic properties of Heusler compounds for spintronics

Modifications in nanoscale chemical order are used to tune the magnetic properties, namely T-C, of Co2FeSixAl1-x (0 < x < 1). High-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) with Z-contrast reveals nanoscale regions of L2(1) order within a B2 matrix in the off-stoichiometry samples. Perhaps surprisingly, the latter, more chemically disordered structure, exhibits a higher T-C. Upon annealing, the off-stoichiometry samples become more homogeneous with the fraction of L2(1) order decreasing. The short-range order was also investigated using X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements at the Co and Fe K edges. Since the local atomic environments of C…

Synthesis of graphene oxide-intercalated α-hydroxides by metathesis and their decomposition to graphene/metal oxide composites

Graphene oxide-intercalated alpha-metal hydroxides were prepared using layers from the delaminated colloidal dispersions of cetyltrimethylammonium-intercalated graphene oxide and dodecylsulfate-intercalated alpha-hydroxide of nickel/cobalt as precursors. The reaction of the two dispersions leads to de-intercalation of the interlayer ions from both the layered solids and the intercalation of the negatively charged graphene oxide sheets between the positively charged layers of the alpha-hydroxide. Thermal decomposition of the intercalated solids yields graphene/nanocrystalline metal oxide composites. Electron microscopy analysis of the composites indicates that the nanoparticles are intercala…

I-II-V half-Heusler compounds for optoelectronics:Ab initiocalculations

Half-Heusler compounds $XYZ$ crystallize in the space group $F\overline{4}3m$ and can be viewed as a zinc-blende-like ${(YZ)}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ lattice partially filled with He-like ${X}^{+}$ interstitials. In this work, we investigated I-II-V (eight-electrons) half-Heusler compounds by first-principles calculations in order to find suitable semiconductors for optoelectronics such as Cd-free buffer layer materials for chalcopyrite-based thin-film solar-cell devices. We report a systematic examination of band gaps and lattice parameters, depending on the electronegativities and the ion radii of the involved elements. Half-Heusler buffer materials should have a band gap of more than 2 eV to a…

The Properties of Co2Cr1-xFexAl Heusler Compounds

The classical concept of band structure tuning as used for semiconductors by partly replacing one atom by a chemical neighbor without altering the structure is applied examplarily to the half-metallic ferromagnetic Heusler compound Co 2 Cr 1 - x Fe x Al. Band structure calculations are presented for ordered and disordered compounds. We present experimental and theoretical results. The connection between specific site disorder and the band structure is shown explicitly with particular emphasis on the half-metallic properties. Experimentally observed deviations from the ideal Heusler structure and from the simple Slater-Pauling rule for the magnetization are discussed in close relation to the…

Phase-separation-induced changes in the magnetic and transport properties of the quaternary Heusler alloyCo2Mn1−xTixSn

The quaternary Heusler compound ${\text{Co}}_{2}{\text{Mn}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{Ti}}_{x}\text{Sn}$ with $x=0$, 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.8, and 1 shows a phase separation into the two Heusler compounds, ${\text{Co}}_{2}\text{MnSn}$ and ${\text{Co}}_{2}\text{TiSn}$. Only at the edges of the composition range a slight admixture of Mn and Ti to the respective other phase is observed. This phase separation leads to a distinct microstructure which can be altered by the composition of the material. Pronounced changes in the magnetic and electronic properties take place with varying composition. Two magnetic transitions occur which indicate different Curie temperatures for both phases. The reduct…

Epitaxial film growth and magnetic properties ofCo2FeSi

We have grown thin films of the Heusler compound ${\mathrm{Co}}_{2}\mathrm{Fe}\mathrm{Si}$ by RF magnetron sputtering. On (100)-oriented MgO substrates we find fully epitaxial (100)-oriented and $L{2}_{1}$ ordered growth. On ${\mathrm{Al}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}(11\overline{2}0)$ substrates, the film growth is (110)-oriented, and several in-plane epitaxial domains are observed. The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity shows a power law with an exponent of $7∕2$ at low temperatures. Investigation of the bulk magnetic properties reveals an extrapolated saturation magnetization of $5.0{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}∕\mathrm{f.u.}$ at $0\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. The films on $…

A half-metallic half-Heusler alloy having the largest atomic-like magnetic moment at optimized lattice constant

For half-Heusler alloys, the general formula is XYZ, where X can be a transition or alkali metal element, Y is another transition metal element, typically Mn or Cr, and Z is a group IV element or a pnicitide. The atomic arrangements within a unit-cell show three configurations. Before this study, most of the predictions of half-metallic properties of half-Heusler alloys at the lattice constants differing from their optimized lattice constant. Based on the electropositivity of X and electronegativity of Z for half-Heusler alloys, we found that one of the configurations of LiCrS exhibits half-metallic properties at its optimized lattice constant of 5.803Å, and has the maximum atomic-like magn…

Structural properties of the quaternary Heusler alloy Co2Cr1−xFexAl

The quarternary substitutional series Co2Cr1?xFexAl was investigated by means of surface and bulk sensitive techniques in order to exploit its structural and compositional properties. Both bulk and powder samples of the alloy series were investigated to obtain specific information about this material.The long range order was determined by means of x-ray diffraction and neutron diffraction, while the site specific (short range) order was proved by extended x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. The magnetic structure was investigated by M?ssbauer spectroscopy in transmission and scattering modes in order to compare and separate powder and bulk properties. The chemical composition was …

Structural transitions under high-pressure in a langasite-type multiferroic Ba3TaFe3Si2O14

Abstract The iron containing langasite family compound Ba3Ta57Fe3Si2O14 was studied at high pressure up to 30 GPa at room temperature by means of in situ X-ray diffraction, Raman and Mossbauer spectroscopies in diamond anvil cell. Two structural transitions at pressures ∼5 and ∼20 GPa are observed. At ∼5 GPa, the low-pressure trigonal P321 phase undergoes phase transition to the most likely P3 structure as manifested by slight increase in the c/a ratio and by anomalies of the Mossbauer and Raman spectra parameters. At ∼20 GPa, the first order phase transition to monoclinic structure occurred with a drop of unit cell volume by 9%. The appearance of the ferroelectric state at such transitions…

Photon Energy Dependent Hard X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy of YbCu2Si2

We have performed photon energy ( h ν) dependent hard X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (HAXPES) for YbCu 2 Si 2 , which is a heavy Fermion compound with intermediate Yb valence. We identified that the bulk components in the Si 1 s and Yb 3 d spectra develop with increasing h ν from 2.5 to 6 keV. Moreover, the temperature dependence of the Yb 3 d spectra measured at h ν= 8 keV has shown a valence fluctuation behavior. These results suggest that high h ν HAXPES is essential to determine the mean valence of the Yb compounds.

Conduction band polarization in some CMR materials

First principles electronic structure calculations reveal certain important common features in the conduction band polarization of many of the newly examined colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) materials. Most CMR compounds seem to possess a localized, magnetic band slightly below the Fermi energy. This localized band transfers polarization to a relatively broad conduction band. The nature of the two bands in different systems can be quite distinct. In the perovskite-derived manganese oxides, the magnetic band is derived from $Mn t_{2g}$ states while the conduction band is derived from Mn e states. In the chalcospinel $Fe_{^0.^5}$ $Cu_{^0.^5}$ $Cr_{2}$$ S_{4}$ , the $Crt_{2g}$ states which are…

Correlation in the transition-metal-based Heusler compoundsCo2MnSiandCo2FeSi

Half-metallic ferromagnets, such as the Heusler compounds with formula ${X}_{2}YZ$, are expected to show an integer value for the spin magnetic moment. In contrast to experiments, calculations give noninteger values in certain cases where the compounds are based on $X=\mathrm{Co}$. In order to explain deviations of the magnetic moment calculated for such compounds, the dependence of the electronic structure on the lattice parameter was studied theoretically. In the local density approximation (LDA), the minimum total energy of ${\mathrm{Co}}_{2}\mathrm{FeSi}$ is found for the experimental lattice parameter, but the calculated magnetic moment is approximately 12% too low. In addition, half-m…

Resolving the true band gap of ZrNiSn half-Heusler thermoelectric materials

N-type XNiSn (X = Ti, Zr, Hf) half-Heusler (HH) compounds possess excellent thermoelectric properties, which are believed to be attributed to their relatively high mobility. However, p-type XNiSn HH compounds have poor figures of merit, zT, compared to XCoSb compounds. This can be traced to the suppression of the magnitude of the thermopower at high temperatures. E_g = 2eS_(max)T_(max) relates the band gap to the thermopower peak. However, from this formula, one would conclude that the band gap of p-type XNiSn solid solutions is only one-third that of n-type XNiSn, which effectively prevents p-type XNiSn HHs from being useful thermoelectric materials. The study of p-type HH Zr_(1−x)Sc_xNiSn…

Superconductivity in the Heusler Family of Intermetallics

Several physical properties of the superconducting Heusler compounds, focusing on two systems (Y, Lu, Sc)Pd2Sn and APd2M, where A=Hf, Zr and M=Al, In, are summarized and compared. The analysis of the data shows the importance of the electron-phonon coupling for superconductivity in this family. We report the superconducting parameters of YPd2Sn, which has the highest Tc among all known Heusler superconductors.

A large-energy-gap oxide topological insulator based on the superconductor BaBiO3

Mixed-valent perovskite oxides based on BaBiO3 (BBO) are, like cuperates, well-known high-Tc superconductors. Recent ab inito calculations have assigned the high-Tc superconductivity to a correlation-enhanced electron--phonon coupling mechanism, stimulating the prediction and synthesis of new superconductor candidates among mixed-valent thallium perovskites. Existing superconductivity has meant that research has mainly focused on hole-doped compounds, leaving electron-doped compounds relatively unexplored. Here we demonstrate through ab inito calculations that BBO emerges as a topological insulator (TI) in the electron-doped region, where the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) effect is significant.…

Magnetic properties of GdPdSb and GdNiSb studied by 155Gd-Mössbauer spectroscopy

Abstract 155 Gd-Mossbauer spectroscopy was applied to study the magnetic properties of GdPdSb with hexagonal LiGaGe structure and of GdNiSb in the cubic MgAgAs-type structure as well as in the hexagonal AlB 2 -type structure. In GdPdSb magnetic ordering is observed at 13.0 K with indications of a tilted spin structure at lower temperatures. In the cubic phase of GdNiSb magnetic ordering is observed at 9.5 K and in the hexagonal phase around 3.5 K. These results are discussed in conjunction with previous investigations of these samples.

Structure and electrical resistivity of mixed-valent EuNi2P2 at high pressure.

The structural properties and electrical resistivity of homogeneous mixed-valent EuNi2P2 are studied at pressures up to 45 GPa. No structural phase transition is observed in the whole pressure range and the overall pressure behavior of the structural parameters is similar to that of related compounds in the collapsed tetragonal ThCr2Si2-type structure. Electrical resistivity measured up to 31 GPa at temperatures between 4 and 300 K exhibits continuous changes from the behavior typical for a mixed-valent Eu system to that of a normal metallic system at pressures above 20 GPa, indicating a transition of the strongly mixed-valent Eu atoms with a valence ~2.5 towards a pure trivalent state. No …

Electronic, magnetic, and structural properties of the ferrimagnet Mn2CoSn

The magnetic ground state of the Heusler compound Mn${}_{2}$CoSn was predicted to be nearly half-metallic ferrimagnetic with a high spin polarization by ab initio electronic structure calculations. Mn${}_{2}$CoSn was synthesized, and the magnetic behavior of the compound was studied using a superconducting quantum interference device and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. The experimental values were found to be in fair accordance with the theoretical predictions. The electronic structure and the crystal structure of Mn${}_{2}$CoSn were characterized comprehensively using x-ray powder diffraction, $^{119}\mathrm{Sn}$ M\"ossbauer spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and hard x-ray photo…

Development of hard x-ray photoelectron SPLEED-based spectrometer applicable for probing of buried magnetic layer valence states

Abstract A novel design of high-voltage compatible polarimeter for spin-resolved hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (Spin-HAXPES) went into operation at beamline BL09XU of SPring-8 in Hyogo, Japan. The detector is based on the well-established principle of electron diffraction from a W(001) single-crystal at a scattering energy of 103.5 eV. It's special feature is that it can be operated at a high negative bias potential up to 10 kV, necessary to access the HAXPES range. The polarimeter is operated behind a large hemispherical analyzer (Scienta R-4000). It was optimized for high transmission of the transfer optics. A delay-line detector (20 mm dia.) is positioned at the exit plane of the…

CSD 1784742: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination

Related Article: Leslie Schoop, Lukas Müchler, Jennifer Schmitt, Vadim Ksenofontov, Sergey Medvedev, Jürgen Nuss, Frederick Casper, Martin Jansen, R. J. Cava, Claudia Felser|2012|Phys.Rev.B|86|174522|doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.86.174522