Fundamental Limitations of Half-Metallicity in Spintronic Materials

Abstract

Zero-point spin fluctuations are shown to strongly influence the ground state of ferromagnetic metals and to impose limitations for the fully spin polarized state assumed in half-metallic ferromagnets, which may influence their applications in spintronics. This phenomenon leads to the low-frequency Stoner excitations and cause strong damping and softening of magnons in magnetoresistive manganites observed experimentally.