{Spin polarization tuning in Mn$_{x}$Fe$_{1-x}$Ge$_{3}$

TL;DR

This study uses ab-initio calculations to show how Fe doping in MnGe3 enhances spin polarization and alters electronic properties, indicating potential for spintronic applications.

Contribution

It demonstrates the tunability of spin polarization in Mn$_{1-x}$Fe$_{x}$Ge$_{3}$ through Fe substitution, supported by electronic structure analysis.

Findings

Fe doping significantly alters the Fermi surface.

Enhanced spin polarization observed with Fe substitution.

Tunable spin polarization suggests potential for spintronic devices.

Abstract

Experimentally, the intermetallic compound Mn$_{4}$FeGe$_{3}$ has been recently shown to exhibit enhanced magnetic properties and spin polarization compared to the Mn$_{5}$Ge$_{3}$ parent compound. The present {\em ab-initio} study focusses on the effect of Fe substitution on the electronic and magnetic properties of the compound. Our calculations reveal that the changes on the Fermi surface of the doped compound are remarkable and provide explanations for the enhanced spin-polarization observed. Finally, we show that it is indeed possible to tune the degree of spin-polarization upon Fe doping, thus making the Mn$_{1-x}$Fe$_{x}$Ge$_{3}$ intermetallic alloy very promising for future spintronic applications.