Tailoring structural and magnetic properties of Mn3-xFexGa alloys towards multifunctional applications

This study investigated the structural and magnetic properties of Mn3-xFexGa alloys (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1) under different heat-treatment conditions. A tetragonal structure was observed in samples that were heat treated at 623 K for three days followed by quenching in ice water. These tetragonal alloys present large coercive fields in the range 0.8-5 kOe and low saturation magnetization, and have great potential for application in spin-transfer torque-based devices. A hexagonal structure was observed in samples subjected to heat treatment at 883 K for three days following quenching in ice water. A moderate decrease in the coercive field has been observed for the hexagonal alloys compared with those with a tetragonal structure. However, the Mn3-xFexGa alloys with a hexagonal structure exhibit other attractive magnetic properties, including collinear and non-collinear magnetic properties, holding high promise for technological applications. A face-centred-cubic (f.c.c.) structure was observed when subjected to annealing at 1073 K for three days followed by quenching in ice water. In contrast to the tetragonal and hexagonal structures, all f.c.c. alloys exhibit antiferromagnetic behaviour. This versatile material can display a wide range of multi-functionalities attributed to its tuneable crystal structure. This investigation will guide the design of multiple structures of these materials in order to utilise the wide functionalities for practical applications.