Itinerant and localized magnetic moments in ferrimagnetic Mn{sub 2}CoGa thin films probed by x-ray magnetic linear dichroism: Experiment and ab initio theory

Journal Article · Sat Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2011 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVB.84.132405· OSTI ID:21596888

Meinert, Markus; Schmalhorst, Jan-Michael; Klewe, Christoph; Reiss, Guenter ^[1]; Arenholz, Elke ^[2]; Boehnert, Tim; Nielsch, Kornelius ^[3]

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1. Thin Films and Physics of Nanostructures, Department of Physics, Bielefeld University, D-33501 Bielefeld (Germany)
2. Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, California 94720 (United States)
3. Institute of Applied Physics, University of Hamburg, Jungiusstrasse 11, D-20355 Hamburg (Germany)

Epitaxial thin films of the half-metallic X{sub a} compound Mn{sub 2}CoGa (Hg{sub 2}CuTi prototype) were prepared by dc magnetron co-sputtering with different heat treatments on MgO (001) substrates. High-quality films with a bulk magnetization of 1.95(5) {mu}{sub B} per unit cell were obtained. The L{sub 3,2} x-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectra agree with calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) and reveal the antiparallel alignment of the two inequivalent Mn moments. X-ray magnetic linear dichroism, in good agreement with theory as well, allows us to distinguish between itinerant and local Mn moments. Based on noncollinear spin DFT, it is shown that one of the two Mn moments has local character, whereas the other Mn moment and the Co moment are itinerant.

• OSTI ID: 21596888
• Journal Information: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 84, Issue 13; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.84.132405; (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1098-0121
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ALIGNMENT
COBALT COMPOUNDS
DENSITY FUNCTIONAL METHOD
EPITAXY
FERRIMAGNETIC MATERIALS
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
HEAT TREATMENTS
MAGNESIUM OXIDES
MAGNETIC CIRCULAR DICHROISM
MAGNETIC MOMENTS
MAGNETIZATION
MAGNETRONS
MANGANESE COMPOUNDS
SIMULATION
SPECTRA
SPIN
SPUTTERING
SUBSTRATES
THIN FILMS
X RADIATION
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ANGULAR MOMENTUM
CALCULATION METHODS
CHALCOGENIDES
CRYSTAL GROWTH METHODS
DICHROISM
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON TUBES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FILMS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
MAGNETIC MATERIALS
MATERIALS
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
MICROWAVE TUBES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
VARIATIONAL METHODS