Direct observation of half-metallicity in the Heusler compound Co 2 MnSi

Jourdan M, Minar J, Braun J, Kronenberg A, Chadov S, Balke B, Gloskovskii A, Kolbe M, Elmers HJ, Schoenhense G, Ebert H, Felser C, Klaeui M (2014)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2014

Journal

Nature Communications Nature Publishing Group: Nature Communications

Book Volume: 5

Article Number: 3974

DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4974

Abstract

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 Co2 MnSi 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 (93+7 -11) % 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 experimental results are compared with advanced band structure and photoemission calculations which include surface effects. Excellent agreement is obtained with calculations, which show a highly spin polarized bulk-like surface resonance ingrained in a half metallic bulk band structure. © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Involved external institutions

Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz (JGU) DE Germany (DE) Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) DE Germany (DE) Max-Planck-Institut für Chemische Physik fester Stoffe (MPI CPfS) / Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids DE Germany (DE) Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Jourdan, M., Minar, J., Braun, J., Kronenberg, A., Chadov, S., Balke, B.,... Klaeui, M. (2014). Direct observation of half-metallicity in the Heusler compound Co 2 MnSi. Nature Communications, 5. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms4974

MLA:

Jourdan, Martin, et al. "Direct observation of half-metallicity in the Heusler compound Co 2 MnSi." Nature Communications 5 (2014).

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