First-principle study of magnetic, elastic and thermal properties of full Heusler Co2MnSi

In this work, first principles calculation of structural, electronic magnetic and elastic properties of the half-metallic ferromagnetic Heusler compound Co2MnSi are presented. We have applied the full-potential linearized augmented plane waves plus local orbitals (FP-L/APW+lo) method based on the density functional theory (DFT). For the exchange and correlation potential generalized-gradient approximation (GGA) is used. The computed equilibrium lattice parameters agree well with the available theoretical and experimental data. Elastic constants and their pressure dependence are also calculated. The calculated total magnetization of 5 mu(B) is in excellent agreement with recent experiments. We also presented the thermal effects using the quasi-harmonic Debye model, in which the lattice vibrations are taken into account. Temperature and pressure effects on the structural parameters, heat capacities, entropy, thermal expansion coefficient, and Debye temperatures are determined from the non-equilibrium Gibbs functions. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.