Visualizing Half-Metallic Bulk Band Structure with Multiple Weyl Cones of the Heusler Ferromagnet.

Using a well-focused soft x-ray synchrotron radiation beam, angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy was applied to a full-Heusler-type Co_{2}MnGe alloy to elucidate its bulk band structure. A large parabolic band at the Brillouin zone center and several bands that cross the Fermi level near the Brillouin zone boundary were identified in line with the results from first-principles calculations. These Fermi-level crossings are ascribed to majority spin bands that are responsible for electron transport with extremely high spin polarization especially along the direction perpendicular to the interface of magnetoresistive devices. The spectroscopy confirms there is no contribution of the minority spin bands to the Fermi surface, signifying half-metallicity for the alloy. Furthermore, two topological Weyl cones with band crossing points were identified around the X point, yielding the conclusion that Co_{2}MnGe could exhibit topologically meaningful behavior such as large anomalous Hall and Nernst effects driven by the Berry flux in its half-metallic band structure.

Investigation of the Itinerant Electron Ferromagnetism of Ni2+xMnGa1-x and Co2VGa Heusler Alloys.

Experimental investigations into the field dependence of magnetization and temperature dependences of magnetic susceptibility in Ni2+xMnGa1-x (x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04) and Co2VGa Heusler alloy ferromagnets were performed following the spin fluctuation theory of itinerant ferromagnetism, called as "Takahashi theory". We investigated the magnetic field dependence of magnetization at the Curie temperature TC, which is the critical temperature of the ferromagnetic⁻paramagnetic transition, and also at T = 5 K, which concerns the ground state of the ferromagnetic state. The field dependence of the magnetization was analyzed by means of the H vs. M5 dependence, and the field dependence of the ground state at 5 K was investigated by means of an Arrott plot (H/M vs. M²) according to the Takahashi theory. As for Ni2+xMnGa1-x, the spin fluctuation parameter in k-space (momentum space, TA) and that in energy space (T0) obtained at TC and 5 K were almost the same. On the contrary, as for Co2VGa, the H vs. M5 dependence was not shown at TC. We obtained TA and T0 by means of an Arrott plot at 5 K. We created a generalized Rhodes⁻Wohlfarth plot of peff/pS versus TC/T0 for the other ferromagnets. The plot indicated that the relationship between peff/pS and T0/TC followed Takahashi's theory. We also discussed the spontaneous magnetic moment at the ground state, pS, which was obtained by an Arrott plot at 5 K and the high temperature magnetic moment, pC, at the paramagnetic phase. As for the localized ferromagnet, the pC/pS was 1. As for weak ferromagnets, the pC/pS was larger than 1. In contrast, the pC/pS was smaller than 1 by many Heusler alloys. This is a unique property of Heusler ferromagnets. Half-metallic ferromagnets of Co2VGa and Co2MnGa were in accordance with the generalized Rhodes⁻Wohlfarth plot with a km around 1.4. The magnetic properties of the itinerant electron of these two alloys appeared in the majority bands and was confirmed by Takahashi's theory.

Atomic ordering, magnetic properties, and electronic structure of Mn2CoGa Heusler alloy.

The magnetic properties and atomic arrangement of Mn2CoGa Heusler alloy were investigated experimentally and by theoretical calculations. The magnetic moment derived from spontaneous magnetization at 5 K was 2.06 µ B/f.u. and was close to the integer number of the expected value from theoretical calculation and the Slater-Pauling rule predicted by Galanakis et al. The Curie temperature and L21-B2 order-disorder phase transition temperature were 741 and 1047 K, respectively. Powder neutron diffraction experiment results suggested that the atomic arrangement prefers an L21b-type structure rather than that of Hg2CuTi, being consistent with our previous results of high-angle annular dark-field-scanning transmission electron microscopic observations. The magnetic moments obtained were in good agreement with the theoretical values in the model of the L21b-type structure. The density of states obtained by the first-principles calculation combined with the coherent potential approximation in Mn2CoGa with the L21b-type crystal structure maintained the half-metallic character, even though disordering by Mn and Co atoms was introduced.

Magnetic Properties of the Ferromagnetic Shape Memory Alloys Ni50+xMn27-xGa23 in Magnetic Fields.

Thermal strain, permeability, and magnetization measurements of the ferromagnetic shape memory alloys Ni50+xMn27-xGa23 (x = 2.0, 2.5, 2.7) were performed. For x = 2.7, in which the martensite transition and the ferromagnetic transition occur at the same temperature, the martensite transition starting temperature TMs shift in magnetic fields around a zero magnetic field was estimated to be dTMs/dB = 1.1 ± 0.2 K/T, thus indicating that magnetic fields influences martensite transition. We discussed the itinerant electron magnetism of x = 2.0 and 2.5. As for x = 2.5, the M4 vs.B/M plot crosses the origin of the coordinate axis at the Curie temperature, and the plot indicates a good linear relation behavior around the Curie temperature. The result is in agreement with the theory by Takahashi, concerning itinerant electron ferromagnets.