Ferromagnetic ordering and half-metallic state of Sn2Co3S2with the shandite-type structure

Abstract

Single crystalline Sn${}_{2}$Co${}_{3}$S${}_{2}$ with the shandite-type structure was investigated by magnetization, magnetoresistance, Hall effect, and heat capacity measurements and by ${}^{119}$Sn M\"o\ss{}bauer spectroscopy. Sn${}_{2}$Co${}_{3}$S${}_{2}$ orders ferromagnetically at 172 K with an easy-axis magnetization of $\ensuremath{\approx}$1 ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ along the hexagonal $c$ axis. The half-metallic ferromagnetic state is investigated by detailed band-structure calculations by density functional theory (DFT) methods. The magnetoresistance and the Hall effect as well as the DFT results show that ferromagnetic Sn${}_{2}$Co${}_{3}$S${}_{2}$ is a compensated metal. The ${}^{119}$Sn M\"o\ss{}bauer spectroscopic data confirm these findings. Large transferred hyperfine fields ${B}_{\mathrm{hf}}$ up to 34.2 T are observed.