Kinetic Properties and Half-Metallic Magnetism in Mn2YAl Heusler Alloys

The electrical, magnetic, and galvanomagnetic properties of Mn2YAl Heusler alloys (Y = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni) were experimentally studied. The temperature dependences of the electrical resistivity were obtained in a wide temperature range of 4.2-1000 K. The field dependences of the magnetoresistivity and the Hall effect were measured at T = 4.2 K in magnetic fields of up to 100 kOe, and the magnetization in fields of up to 70 kOe. The systems under consideration demonstrate strong ferromagnetism or compensated ferrimagnetism and phase transitions with a change in the magnetic structure are possible. The variability of the electronic structure in the series of these alloys, including the states of a half-metallic ferromagnet and a spin gapless semiconductor, is discussed.