Abstract
Heusler compounds, in both cubic and hexagonal polymorphs, exhibit a remarkable range of electronic, magnetic, elastic, and topological properties, rivaling that of the transition metal oxides. To date, research on these quantum materials has focused primarily on bulk magnetic and thermoelectric properties or on applications in spintronics. More broadly, however, Heuslers provide a platform for discovery and manipulation of emergent properties at well-defined crystalline interfaces. Here, motivated by advances in the epitaxial growth of layered Heusler heterostructures, I present a vision for Heusler interfaces, focusing on the frontiers and challenges that lie beyond spintronics. The ability to grow these materials epitaxially on technologically important semiconductor substrates, such as GaAs, Ge, and Si, provides a direct path for their integration with modern electronics. Further advances will require new methods to control the stoichiometry and defects to “electronic grade” quality and to control the interface abruptness and ordering at the atomic scale.
Highlights
The properties at materials interfaces often exceed the simple sum of their bulk constituents
Prime examples include the two-dimensional electron gas at the interface between insulators LaAlO3 and SrTiO3,1 the order of magnitude enhancement of the superconducting critical temperature at the monolayer FeSe/SrTiO3 interface,[2,3,4] topological states at the interfaces between topological materials and normal materials,[5,6] modulation doping in semiconductor heterostructures[7] for discoveries in fundamental physics and application in high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs12–14), and the band bending, carrier confinement, and current rectification at semiconductor interfaces (e.g., GaAs/AlGaAs, Si/Ge),[7,15] which form the backbone of the modern microelectronics industry
Heusler compounds today are at a similar stage of development: a number of exotic phenomena have been predicted, but their full realization will likely require new advances in materials synthesis and interface control
Summary
The properties at materials interfaces often exceed the simple sum of their bulk constituents.
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