Investigation of Structural and Elastic Stability, Electronic, Magnetic, Thermoelectric, Lattice-Dynamical and Thermodynamical Properties of Spin Gapless Semiconducting Heusler Alloy Zr2MnIn Using DFT Approach

Abstract

In recent times, spin gapless semiconductors (SGS) have attracted much attention as a promising candidate for spintronics and thermoelectric applications due to their high carrier concentration and good thermoelectric figure of merit. In this paper, we have carried out a systematic theoretical investigation of the structural, elastic, thermal, electronic, magnetic, thermoelectric, lattice dynamical and thermodynamical properties of Zr2MnIn using density functional theory (DFT) based first principle calculations. The band structure calculation shows indirect band gap in a spin down channel and zero band gap in a spin up channel of valence and conduction bands confirming the spin gapless semiconducting nature of Zr2MnIn. The structural and dynamical stability of the antiferromagnetic phase of Zr2MnIn has also been investigated. Magnetization in Zr2MnIn originates due to the d state electrons of Zr atoms, which follows the Slater Pauling rule: Mt = Zt − 18. Phonon dispersion curves exhibit real frequency of phonon modes throughout the Brillouin zone, which confirms the dynamical stability of the antiferromagnetic phase of Zr2MnIn. Thermodynamical properties including specific heat and Debye temperature have been calculated using phonon density of states. A higher value of the thermoelectric figure of merit 1.25, predicts that this alloy as good thermoelectric properties with better output efficiency.