Electronic structure of ternary ferromagnetic compounds MnAlGe and MnGaGe

Abstract

Electronic band structures of ferromagnetic ternary compounds MnAlGe and MnGaGe have been studied by a self-consistent augmented–plane wave (APW) band structure calculation and a photoelectron spectroscopy. The calculated band structure shows that Mn 3d states are hybridized with Al 3p or Ga 4p states and Ge 4p states. A strong two-dimensional feature has been theoretically clarified in the Fermi surfaces especially for spin-down band. An itinerant character of Mn 3d electrons has been confirmed both theoretically and experimentally. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)