A Nanolaminated Magnetic Phase: Mn2GaC

We report on first principles prediction and subsequent synthesis of Mn2GaC, a new member of the inherently nanolaminated M(n+1)AX(n) (MAX) phase family. This phase, the first to include Mn as the sole M element, was synthesized as a heteroepitaxial thin film. The material was theoretically predicted to display magnetic ordering with ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic configurations degenerate in energy within the computational accuracy. Vibrating sample magnetometer measurements show FM ordering with a saturation moment of m(s) = 0.29 mu B per Mn atom and remanent moment of m(r) = 0.15 mu B per Mn atom for temperatures <= 230 K.