New type of half-metallic fully compensated ferrimagnet

TL;DR

This paper reports the experimental realization of a NiAs-type hexagonal (CrFe)S compound as a half-metallic fully compensated ferrimagnet with potential for advanced spintronics, showing zero magnetization and high coercivity.

Contribution

It is the first experimental demonstration of a NiAs-type (CrFe)S compound as a half-metallic fully compensated ferrimagnet with unique magnetic properties.

Findings

Exhibits 100% spin polarization and zero magnetization.

Magnetization linearly varies below 200 K.

High coercivity of 38 kOe at 300 K.

Abstract

Half-metallic fully compensated ferrimagnets (HM-FCFMs), a special class of half-metals exhibiting zero magnetization at absolute zero, are promising candidates for next-generation spintronics applications. For over 25 years, theoretical studies have been conducted to realize HM-FCFM materials for practical applications. Herein, we experimentally demonstrate a NiAs-type hexagonal-structured (CrFe)S compound that could serve as an HM-FCFM material. It has a half-metallic nature, with 100% spin-polarized Fermi surfaces and zero magnetization. Further, the magnetization shows a linear behavior as a function of the magnetic field below the compensation temperature of around 200 K, with high magnetic coercivity of 38 kOe at 300 K. These magnetic features are expected to contribute to a quantum leap in the application of HM-FCFM layers in spintronics devices.