Half-metallic ferromagnets: From band structure to many-body effects

M. I. Katsnelson, V. Yu. Irkhin, L. Chioncel, A. I. Lichtenstein, and R. A. de Groot
Rev. Mod. Phys. 80, 315 – Published 1 April 2008

Abstract

A review of new developments in theoretical and experimental electronic-structure investigations of half-metallic ferromagnets (HMFs) is presented. Being semiconductors for one spin projection and metals for another, these substances are promising magnetic materials for applications in spintronics (i.e., spin-dependent electronics). Classification of HMFs by the peculiarities of their electronic structure and chemical bonding is discussed. The effects of electron-magnon interaction in HMFs and their manifestations in magnetic, spectral, thermodynamic, and transport properties are considered. Special attention is paid to the appearance of nonquasiparticle states in the energy gap, which provide an instructive example of essentially many-body features in the electronic structure. State-of-the-art electronic calculations for correlated d-systems are discussed, and results for specific HMFs (Heusler alloys, zinc-blende structure compounds, CrO2, and Fe3O4) are reviewed.

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    DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.80.315

    ©2008 American Physical Society

    Authors & Affiliations

    M. I. Katsnelson*

    • Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University of Nijmegen, NL-6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    V. Yu. Irkhin

    • Institute of Metal Physics, 620041 Ekaterinburg, Russia

    L. Chioncel

    • Institute of Theoretical Physics, Graz University of Technology, A-8010 Graz, Austria and Department of Physics, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania

    A. I. Lichtenstein

    • Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Hamburg, 20355 Hamburg, Germany

    R. A. de Groot

    • Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands and Zernicke Institute for Advanced Materials, NL-9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands

    • *M.Katsnelson@science.ru.nl

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    Issue

    Vol. 80, Iss. 2 — April - June 2008

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