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Co2FeSi thin films are grown on a Si (1 0 0) substrate using ultrahigh-vacuum magnetron sputtering at different substrate temperatures from 300 °C to 550 °C. The films are characterized using grazing incidence x-ray diffraction, magnetization, and ferromagnetic resonance and temperature-dependent resistivity measurements. The films deposited at 450 °C (TS450) have better magnetic as well as structural properties with the minimum disorder. The temperature dependence of line-width () suggests two-magnon scattering is responsible for the line broadening. The correlation between the disorder and extrinsic broadening of the line-width is brought out clearly for the first time in Co2FeSi thin films. TS450 film has minimum (33 Oe) and Gilbert damping parameter (α  =  0.005) at room temperature making it ideal for spintronic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work, the magnetocaloric and transport properties of Ni2.2Mn0.72−xVxGa1.08 (x  =  0.0, 0.04, 0.08, 0.12) magnetic shape memory alloys are investigated. The alloys show a coupled magnetostructural transition from paramagnetic austenite to ferromagnetic martensite in a composition range of 0  ⩽  x  ⩽  0.08. For higher V substitution (x  =  0.12), the martensite transition is lower than the conventional ferromagnetic transition. Large magnetic entropy change values of about 12.4, 16.2 and 19 J kg−1 K−1 and corresponding refrigeration capacities of 60.6, 82.5, and 103 J kg−1 were observed for x  =  0, 0.04 and 0.08 alloys, respectively. The above two parameters linearly increase with increasing magnetic field. The indirect adiabatic temperature change calculated from the heat capacity measurement is found to be at its maximum for x  =  0.12 at H  =  8 T. The magnetoresistance is observed to increase from 0% (x  =  0.12) to 28% (x  =  0) at the maximum field of 8 T. The Sommerfeld coefficients are almost the same for the parent and a V-doped sample, which reveals a low free electron density, and the Debye coefficients decrease with an increase in V doping, confirming the phenomenon of electron–phonon scattering. The critical exponents at second order magnetic transition for x  = 0.12 are calculated as β  =  0.482, γ  =  1.056, δ  =  3.021, which agrees closely with mean field theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of the substitution of Cr with Co on microstructure, phase composition, structure, magnetic, and electrical properties in (0  ⩽  x  ⩽  1) alloys was investigated to identify the compositions with the potential to exhibit half-metallicity. The microstructural and structural studies revealed that only alloys with x  ⩾  0.5 exhibited the desired single phase L21 full Heusler alloy structure. Both the saturation magnetization (Ms) and Curie temperature (TC) were found to increase with the increase in Co concentration. The experimentally measured Ms values are in good agreement with the Slater–Pauling rule. The electrical resistivity measurements in the temperature range 10–300 K gives indirect evidence of half-metallic behaviour in these alloys at low temperatures. The temperature range in which the half-metallic behaviour was observed also increased with an increase in Co concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed study of the Fe2 − xCoxMnSi (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.6) alloys has been carried out by investigating the samples by x-ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy, magnetization, transport and current spin polarization measurements. A perfectly ordered L21 phase is found to exist for x = 0.4. Competing magnetic interactions between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic (AFM) phases are seen in the alloys with x < 0.2, whereas the AFM phase is completely absent for x ≥ 0.2 as revealed by the magnetization and resistivity data. The Curie temperature and saturation magnetization values increase with increase in the Co concentration. Anomalous, non metallic-like behaviour is observed for x = 0.4. Current spin polarization values of 0.61  ±  0.01 and 0.66  ±  0.01 were deduced for x = 0.2 and x = 0.4 respectively, using the point contact Andreev reflection spectroscopy . Considering the high spin polarization and Curie temperature, materials with x ≥ 0.2 appear to be very promising for spintronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report the signature of spin gapless semiconductor (SGS) in CoFeMnSi that belongs to the Heusler family. SGS is a new class of magnetic semiconductors which have a band gap for one spin subband and zero band gap for the other, and thus are useful for tunable spin transport based applications. We show various experimental evidences for SGS behavior in CoFeMnSi by carefully carrying out the transport and spin-polarization measurements. SGS behavior is also confirmed by first-principles band-structure calculations. The most stable configuration obtained by the theoretical calculation is verified by experiment. The alloy is found to crystallize in the cubic Heusler structure (LiMgPdSn type) with some amount of disorder and has a saturation magnetization of 3.7 μB/f.u. and Curie temperature of ~620 K. The saturation magnetization is found to follow the Slater-Pauling behavior, one of the prerequisites for SGS. Nearly-temperature-independent carrier concentration and electrical conductivity are observed from 5 to 300 K. An anomalous Hall coefficient of 162 S/cm is obtained at 5 K. Point contact Andreev reflection data have yielded the current spin-polarization value of 0.64, which is found to be robust against the structural disorder. All these properties strongly suggest SGS nature of the alloy, which is quite promising for the spintronic applications such as spin injection as it can bridge the gap between the contrasting behaviors of half-metallic ferromagnets and semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low temperature preparation of nanostructured CoCr x Fe 2- x O₄ (0 x Fe 2- x O₄. IR bands at ~600 cm -1 and ~400 cm -1 confirm distinct metal-oxygen vibrations corresponding to tetrahedral and octahedral sites, respectively. Average crystallite sizes and SEM particle sizes were found to be in the range of 25-13 nm and 86-117 nm for CoCr x Fe 2- x O₄ materials, respectively. The values of saturation magnetizations ( M s ) and coercivities (H c ) decreases, i.e., from 73.8 emu/g to 16.8 emu/g and from 1467 Oe to 71 Oe, with the increase in the value of x, i.e., from x = 0 to x = 1.0, in CoCr x Fe 2- x O₄, respectively. The observed changes in magnetic properties have been explained on the basis of altered composition, magnetic structure, fine particle size, and surface effects. These results are also supported by our Mössbauer spectroscopic investigation.

Magnetic anomalies corresponding to the Verwey transition and reorientation of anisotropic vacancies are observed at 151 K and 306 K, respectively, in NiCoFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by a modified-solvothermal method followed by annealing. Cationic disorder and spherical shape induced non-stoichiometry suppress the Verwey transition in the as-synthesized NPs. On the other hand, reorientation of anisotropic vacancies is quite robust. XRD and electron microscopy investigations confirm a single phase spinel structure and the surface morphology of the as-synthesized NPs changes from spherical to octahedral upon annealing. Rietveld analysis reveals that the Ni(2+) ions migrate from tetrahedral (A) to octahedral (B) sites upon annealing. The Mössbauer results show canted spins in both the NPs and the strength of superexchange is stronger in Co-O-Fe than Ni-O-Fe. Magnetic force images show that the as-synthesised NPs are single-domain whereas the annealed NPs are multi-domain octahedral particles. The FMR study reveals that both the NPs have a broad FMR line-width; and resonance properties are consistent with the random anisotropy model. The broad inhomogeneous FMR line-width, observation of the Verwey transition, tuning of the magnetic domain structure as well as the magnetic properties suggest that the NiCoFe2O4 ferrite NPs may be promising for future generation spintronics, magneto-electronics, and ultra-high-density recording media as well as for radar absorbing applications.