Thin films of Heusler compounds with high Spin-Orbit Coupling

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Claudia Felser
• Subject Area: Physical Chemistry of Solids and Surfaces, Material Characterisation ; Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: from 2010 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 164481210

This project combines the design of new semiconducting Heusler compounds with new transport phenomena. The goal is to design new materials usable in devices for lateral spin transport and the realization of such devices. The materials for new magneto resistive devices are based on half metallic Heusler compounds combined with new semiconducting Heusler compounds. The combination of half metallic and semiconducting Heusler films will render a pure spin current possible. For lateral spin transport, materials with a large spin diffusion length are essential. The diffusion length is expected to be large in Heusler compounds providing a band gap at the Fermi energy and possessing a low spin orbit coupling. With ever increasing miniaturization non-local effects will become important in next generation devices. The final aim will be to demonstrate spin accumulation effects in lateral devices using new materials.

• DFG Programme: Research Units
• Subproject of: FOR 1464: ASPIMATT: Advanced Spintronic Materials and Transport Phenomena
• Participating Person: Dr. Daniel Ebke