IUVSTA 15th International Vacuum Congress (IVC-15), AVS 48th International Symposium (AVS-48), 11th International Conference on Solid Surfaces (ICSS-11)
    Magnetic Interfaces and Nanostructures Tuesday Sessions
       Session MI+EL-TuM

Paper MI+EL-TuM9
Characterization of a New Half-Metallic Ferromagnet: Yb@sub 14@MnSb@sub 11@

Tuesday, October 30, 2001, 11:00 am, Room 110

Session: Spintronics I: Magnetization Dynamics and New Materials
Presenter: A.P. Holm, University of California, Davis
Authors: A.P. Holm, University of California, Davis
S.M. Kauzlarich, University of California, Davis
S.A. Morton, University of Missouri-Rolla
G.D. Waddill, University of Missouri-Rolla
W.E. Pickett, University of California, Davis
J.G. Tobin, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Correspondent: Click to Email
Utilizing a combination of bulk magnetization and magnetic X-ray circular dichroism measurements (MXCD), we demonstrate that Yb@sub 14@MnSb@sub 11@ is a half-metallic ferromagnet. The compound is isostructural to Ca@sub 14@AlSb@sub 11@, with the Mn occupying the Al site in the [AlSb@sub 4@]@sup 9-@ discrete tetrahedral, anionic unit. Bulk magnetization measurements exhibit an effective moment of 4.86 ± 0.02 µ@sub B@/ formula unit implying a Mn@sup 3+@, high spin d@sup 4@ state, but theoretical calculations suggest Mn is divalent with one hole in the Sb 5p states of the tetrahedron. MXCD measurements reveal that the Mn L@sub 23@ is strongly dichroic, and there is no evidence of any dichroism in either the Yb N@sub 45@ or Sb M@sub 45@ edges. Comparisons of the Mn spectra with the theoretical models for Mn@sup 2+@ show excellent agreement, and support the bulk magnetization measurements. The bulk magnetization measurements clearly show full spin alignment and the cancellation of one spin by the unpaired and antialigned spin in the Sb 5p band.