Mn3Ga, a compensated ferrimagnet with high Curie temperature and low magnetic moment for spin torque transfer applications

This work reports about the electronic, magnetic, and structural properties of the binary compound Mn3Ga. The tetragonal DO22 phase of Mn3Ga was successfully synthesized and investigated. It has been found that the material is hard magnetic with an energy product of H(c)xB(r)=52.5 kJ m(-3) and an average saturation magnetization of about 0.25 mu(B)/at. at 5 K. The saturation magnetization indicates a ferrimagnetic order with partially compensating moments at the Mn atoms on crystallographically different sites. The Curie temperature is above 730 K where the onset of decomposition is observed. The electronic structure calculations indicate a nearly half-metallic ferrimagnetic order with 88% spin polarization at the Fermi energy. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.