Largest Magnetic Moments in the Half-Heusler Alloys XCrZ (X = Li, K, Rb, Cs; Z = S, Se, Te): A First-Principles Study

A recent theoretical work indicates that intermetallic materials LiMnZ (Z = N, P) with a half-Heusler structure exhibit half-metallic (HM) behaviors at their strained lattice constants, and the magnetic moments of these alloys are expected to reach as high as 5 mu(B) per formula unit. (Damewood et al. Phys. Rev. B 2015, 91, 064409). This work inspired us to find new Heusler-based half-metals with the largest magnetic moment. With the help of the first-principles calculation, we reveal that XCrZ (X = K, Rb, Cs; Z = S, Se, Te) alloys show a robust, half-metallic nature with a large magnetic moment of 5 mu(B) at their equilibrium and strained lattice constants in their most stable phases, while the excellent HM nature of LiCrZ (Z = S, Se, Te) alloys can be observed in one of their metastable phases. Moreover, the effects of uniform strain in LiCrZ (Z = S, Se, Te) alloys in type II arrangement have also been discussed.