Quantitative analysis of anisotropic magnetoresistance in Co{sub 2}MnZ and Co{sub 2}FeZ epitaxial thin films: A facile way to investigate spin-polarization in half-metallic Heusler compounds
- National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Sengen 1-2-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047 (Japan)
- Graduate School of Engineering, Shizuoka University, Hamamatsu 432-8561 (Japan)
Anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) effect has been systematically investigated in various Heusler compounds Co{sub 2}MnZ and Co{sub 2}FeZ (Z = Al, Si, Ge, and Ga) epitaxial films and quantitatively summarized against the total valence electron number N{sub V}. It was found that the sign of AMR ratio is negative when N{sub V} is between 28.2 and 30.3, and turns positive when N{sub V} becomes below 28.2 and above 30.3, indicating that the Fermi level (E{sub F}) overlaps with the valence or conduction band edges of half-metallic gap at N{sub V} ∼ 28.2 or 30.3, respectively. We also find out that the magnitude of negative AMR ratio gradually increases with shifting of E{sub F} away from the gap edges, and there is a clear positive correlation between the magnitude of negative AMR ratio and magnetoresistive output of the giant magnetoresistive devices using the Heusler compounds. This indicates that AMR can be used as a facile way to optimize a composition of half-metallic Heusler compounds having a high spin-polarization at room temperature.
- OSTI ID:
- 22267729
- Journal Information:
- Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 104, Issue 17; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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