Direct observation of ferrimagnetic ordering in inverse Heusler alloy Mn 2 CoAl

DOI: 10.1063/5.0013656

Authors: Zhendong Chen (Nanjing University) , Wenqing Liu (Nanjing University; Royal Holloway University of London) , Peng Chen (Lanzhou University) , Xuezhong Ruan (Nanjing University) , Jiabao Sun (Royal Holloway University of London) , Ruobai Liu (Nanjing University) , Cunxu Gao (Lanzhou University) , Jun Du (Nanjing University) , Bo Liu (Key Laboratory of Spintronics Materials, Devices and Systems of Zhejiang Province) , Hao Meng (Key Laboratory of Spintronics Materials, Devices and Systems of Zhejiang Province) , Rong Zhang (Nanjing University) , Yongbing Xu (Nanjing University; University of York,)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Applied Physics Letters , VOL 117

State: Published (Approved)
Published: July 2020
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 22532

Abstract: Compensated ferrimagnetic Heusler compounds with high spin polarization and a low net magnetic moment are strategically important materials for spin-logic and further energy-efficient spintronic applications. However, the element-resolved magnetic ordering of these compensated ferrimagnets remains an open issue. Here, we report a direct observation of the spin and orbital moments of the B2 phase Mn2CoAl thin film using the synchrotron-based x-ray magnetic circular dichroism technique. An ferrimagnetic ordering between Mn and Co elements and a compensated-ferrimagnet-like small net magnetic moment of only 0.34 μB/f.u. were observed unambiguously in B2 Mn2CoAl. Antiparallel coupling between Mn and Co is attributed to the mixture of the Mn(B) and Al occupation in the B2 phase Mn2CoAl lattice. This work demonstrates great potential of the compensated ferrimagnetic half-metallic inverse Heusler compounds Mn2CoAl for spintronic applications.

Journal Keywords: Magnetic hysteresis; Alloys; X-ray magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy; Synchrotrons; Orbital hybridization; Thin films; Magnetic equipment; Spintronics; Magnetic ordering

Diamond Keywords: Alloys; Spintronics

Subject Areas: Materials, Physics


Instruments: I10-Beamline for Advanced Dichroism

Added On: 15/07/2020 11:48

Discipline Tags:

Surfaces Hard condensed matter - electronic properties Physics Electronics Magnetism Materials Science interfaces and thin films Metallurgy

Technical Tags:

Spectroscopy Circular Dichroism (CD) X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism (XMCD)