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…