Characterization and Application of Heusler, Semi-Heusler Alloys, and Semiconductors Films

Dear Colleagues,

Heusler alloys have been of interest for about 100 years, and due to their specific and attractive properties, they are still being intensively investigated for applications in fields as diverse as spintronics, magneto mechanics or thermoelectricity, to name just a few most spectacular examples. The properties of some Heusler alloys as half-metallic materials with full spin polarization at the Fermi level or as materials showing martensitic transformations controlled by means of a magnetic field are outstanding.

Heusler alloys appear to be a mature class of materials. However, such a statement may be misleading. The possible combinations of components that make up Heusler alloys are almost limitless, and recently, a great deal of emphasis has been placed on four-, five- and more-component Heusler alloys selected to optimize the desired/required properties determined by their electronic structure in order to achieve a measurable bandgap near the Fermi level at room temperature or to achieve topological electronic properties, for example. 

Heusler alloy films are good candidates in this case. The search for Heusler alloys in the form of thin films that show half-metallic properties, ultra-low magnetic damping, and/or perpendicular anisotropy for their applications in spin–transport-based electronic devices is still very active. 

While many half-metallic Heusler alloys have been theoretically predicted, only a few of them are realized experimentally in bulk. Nevertheless, the films of these alloys do not show 100% spin polarization, mainly due to structural disorder and/or disorder at the surfaces or interfaces. Making films close to the ideal is a challenge which is difficult to realize in practice. The main problem is the high temperatures necessary to crystallize these films with a high ordering. In this aspect, low-temperature annealing which is compatible with semiconductor technology seems to be important. 

We encourage a wide range of researchers to participate in these challenges aimed at optimizing the technology of bulk Heusler alloys and films, their modern characterization, and the creation of devices based on various properties of Heusler alloys.

Prof. Dr. Janusz Dubowik
Guest Editor

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• full-Heusler compounds
• semi-Heusler compounds
• disorder
• surfaces and interfaces
• half-metallicity
• spin polarization
• martensitic transformation
• magnetic shape memory
• perpendicular anisotropy
• magnetization dynamics
• spintronics
• epitaxial and polycrystalline films
• thermoelectric Heusler compounds
• topological insulators