Magnetic and transport properties of Mn2FeAl

• Published in: Journal of magnetism and magnetic materials 2019-05, Vol.478, p.55-58
• Main Authors: Gavrikov, I., Seredina, M., Zheleznyy, M., Shchetinin, I., Karpenkov, D., Bogach, A., Chatterjee, Ratnamala, Khovaylo, V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antiferromagnetism; Crystal structure; Curie temperature; Ferrimagnetism; First principles; Frustration; Heusler alloys; Magnetic frustration; Magnetic properties; Spintronics; Subsystems; Temperature dependence; Transport properties
• ISSN: 0304-8853; 1873-4766
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmmm.2019.01.088

•Magnetic and transport properties of Mn2FeAl were studied.•Mn2FeAl is strongly frustrated antiferromagnet with Neel temperature 40 K.•Transport properties of Mn2FeAl are typical of “bad” metals. Experimental studies of polycrystalline Mn2FeAl revealed that it crystallizes in a primitive cubic structure of β-Mn type (space group P4132) and is an antiferromagnet with Néel temperature TN = 40 K. The alloy exhibits temperature dependence of transport properties typical for semiconductors and has abnormally high electrical resistivity (ρ ∼ 238 μΩ·cm at room temperature). High Curie-Weiss temperature ΘCW ∼ –905 K and a large value of the frustration parameter ƒ ≈ 23 points to a strong frustration of the magnetic subsystem. These experimental findings are in contrast with reported results of first-principles calculations which predicted Mn2FeAl to be half metallic ferrimagnet crystallizing in the Heusler crystal structure.