Anomalous Nernst effect beyond the magnetization scaling relation in the ferromagnetic Heusler compound Co$_2$MnGa

TL;DR

This paper reports a record-high anomalous Nernst thermopower in the ferromagnetic topological Heusler compound Co$_2$MnGa, exceeding values in conventional ferromagnets due to large Berry curvature effects.

Contribution

It demonstrates that topological ferromagnets can exhibit anomalous Nernst effects far surpassing conventional materials, linked to Berry curvature from nodal lines and Weyl points.

Findings

Achieved ~6.0 μV/K ANE thermopower at room temperature.

ANE in Co$_2$MnGa exceeds conventional ferromagnets by a factor of 7.

First-principles calculations connect high ANE to Berry curvature from topological features.

Abstract

Applying a temperature gradient in a magnetic material generates a voltage that is perpendicular to both the heat flow and the magnetization. This is the anomalous Nernst effect (ANE) which was thought to be proportional to the value of the magnetization for a long time. However, more generally, the ANE has been predicted to originate from a net Berry curvature of all bands near the Fermi level. Subsequently, a large anomalous Nernst thermopower has recently been observed in topological materials with no net magnetization but large net Berry curvature around E$_F$. These experiments clearly fall outside the scope of the conventional magnetization-model of the ANE, but a significant question remains: Can the value of the ANE in topological ferromagnets exceed the highest values observed in conventional ferromagnets? Here, we report a remarkably high anomalous Nernst thermopower value of ~6.0 \mu V/K at 1 T in the ferromagnetic topological Heusler compound Co$_2$MnGa at room temperature, which is around 7-times larger than any anomalous Nernst thermopower value ever reported for a conventional ferromagnet. Combined electrical, thermoelectric and first-principles calculations reveal that this high value of the ANE arises from a large net Berry curvature near the Fermi level associated with nodal lines and Weyl points.