Evidence for temperature dependent moments ordering in ferromagnetic NiMnSb(100)

Authors

C.N. Borca, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Takashi Komesu, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Hae-Kyung Jeong, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Peter A. Dowben, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Delia Ristoiu, CNRS Laboratoire Louis Ne´el, France
Ch. Hordequin, CNRS Laboratoire Louis Ne´el, France
J. P. Nozie`res, CNRS Laboratoire Louis Ne´el, France
J. Pierre, CNRS Laboratoire Louis Ne´el, France
Shane Stadler, Naval Research Laboratory, Material Physics Branch, Washington, DCFollow
Y. U. Idzerda, Naval Research Laboratory, Material Physics Branch, Washington, DC

Date of this Version

7-16-2001

Comments

Published Applied Physics Letters 79 (2001) 3122-3124. Permission to use.

Abstract

From magnetic circular dichroism measurements of the Heusler alloy NiMnSb, in combination with other techniques, we show that a dramatic increase in the Mn and Ni moments occurs below a ‘‘crossover’’ transition temperature of about 80–100 K. This phase transition is well below the Curie temperature of NiMnSb (~730 K). While the spin polarization near the Fermi level, from spin-polarized inverse photoemission, remains very high for k_II50, it is unlikely that NiMnSb is a half-metallic ferromagnet near room temperature.