Electronic, Structural, Mechanical, and Thermodynamic Properties of CoYSb (Y = Cr, Mo, W) Half-Heusler Compounds as Potential Spintronic Materials

We used density functional theory (DFT) calculations to investigate the structural, electronic, magnetic, mechanical, and thermodynamic properties of CoYSb (Y = Cr, Mo and W) compounds. These are XYZ type half-Heusler alloys, which also exist in the face centred cubic MgAgAs-type structure and conform to F 4 over bar 3 m space group. We computed these properties in three different atomic arrangements known as Type-I, Type-II, and Type-III phases. In all these phases, the alloys were found to be in the ferromagnetic state. Furthermore, the calculated electronic band structure and the total electronic density of states indicated a metallic behavior in CoWSb, nearly half-metallic behavior in CoMoSb, and half-metallic behavior in CoCrSb, with a minority-spin band gap of 0.81 eV. Furthermore, the calculated mechanical properties predicted an anisotropic behavior of these alloys in their stable phase. Finally, due to its high Debye temperature value, CoCrSb shows stronger covalent bonding than CoMoSb and CoWSb, respectively.