Magnetic properties and phase stability of half-metal-type Co2Cr1−x Fe x Ga alloys

Abstract: The magnetic properties and phase stability of half-metal-type Co2Cr1−x Fe x Ga alloys were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), in a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer and in a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that the L21-type single-phase is obtainable for the entire concentration of x and that the value of the saturation magnetic moment M s at 4.2K in the lower composition range of x is in agreement with the generalized Slater–Pauling line, while it is rather larger than the generalized Slater–Pauling line above x =0.6. The Curie temperature T c monotonically increases, whereas the transition temperature from the L21- to B2-type phase is almost constant at 1082±13K with increasing x. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]