Electronic structures and the spin polarization of Heusler alloy Co 2FeAl surface

Abstract

The electronic structures of the Heusler alloy Co2FeAl surface are studied theoretically via first-principles calculations. The space localization of the surface states is the key effect on the electronic structures of the Co2FeAl surface. At the surface, the lattice parameter shrinks to minimize the total energy, and the minority spin gap disappears and shows a metallic band gap character. However, with the depth increasing, the lattice parameter equals to that of bulk phase, and there shows an energy gap opening at the Fermi level in the minority spin states. As a result, the spin polarization at the surface is lower than that of the bulk Co2FeAl, while it is close to that of bulk phase beneath the surface. According to the calculations, it is clear that the half-metallic property fading of the Co2FeAl films is caused by the surface states. Therefore, it is important to minimize the lattice mismatch at the interface of Co2FeAl in order to obtain a high tunneling magnetoresistance.