Neutron diffraction andab initiostudies on the fully compensated ferrimagnetic characteristics of Mn2V1-xCoxGa Heusler alloys.

Neutron diffraction andab initiostudies were carried out on Mn2V1-xCoxGa (x= 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1) Heusler alloys which exhibits highTCfully compensated ferrimagnetic characteristics forx= 0.5. A combined analysis of neutron diffraction andab initiocalculations revealed the crystal structure and magnetic configuration which could not be determined from the x-ray diffraction and magnetic measurements. As reported earlier, Rietveld refinement of neutron diffraction data confirmedL21structure for Mn2VGa andXastructure for Mn2CoGa. The alloys withx= 0.25 and 0.5 possessL21structure with Mn(C)-Co disorder. As the Co concentration reaches 0.75, a structural transition has been observed from disorderedL21to disorderedXa. Detailedab initiostudies also confirmed this structural transition. The reason for the magnetic moment compensation in Mn2(V1-xCox)Ga was identified to be different from that of the earlier reported fully compensated ferrimagnet (MnCo)VGa. With the help of neutron diffraction andab initiostudies, it is identified that the disorderedL21structure with antiparallel coupling between the ferromagnetically aligned magnetic moments of (Mn(A)-Mn(C)) and (V-Co) atom pairs enables the compensation in Mn2V1-xCoxGa.

Remote control of magnetostriction-based nanocontacts at room temperature.

The remote control of the electrical conductance through nanosized junctions at room temperature will play an important role in future nano-electromechanical systems and electronic devices. This can be achieved by exploiting the magnetostriction effects of ferromagnetic materials. Here we report on the electrical conductance of magnetic nanocontacts obtained from wires of the giant magnetostrictive compound Tb0.3Dy0.7Fe1.95 as an active element in a mechanically controlled break-junction device. The nanocontacts are reproducibly switched at room temperature between "open" (zero conductance) and "closed" (nonzero conductance) states by variation of a magnetic field applied perpendicularly to the long wire axis. Conductance measurements in a magnetic field oriented parallel to the long wire axis exhibit a different behaviour where the conductance switches between both states only in a limited field range close to the coercive field. Investigating the conductance in the regime of electron tunneling by mechanical or magnetostrictive control of the electrode separation enables an estimation of the magnetostriction. The present results pave the way to utilize the material in devices based on nano-electromechanical systems operating at room temperature.