Spin-Polarized Itinerant Electrons In Co-Based Heusler Compounds Investigated By Magnetic Compton Scattering

The spin-polarized electron momentum density distributions (magnetic Compton profiles) of Co2YAl (Y = Ti, V, Cr, and Fe) Heusler compounds have been measured using a magnetic Compton scattering technique. The experimental magnetic Compton profiles have been decomposed into the itinerant electron and localized 3d electron contributions. The decomposition shows that the number of spin-polarized itinerant electrons is proportional to that of spin-polarized localized 3d electrons, indicating that the strength of indirect exchange interaction is dominated by the localized 3d magnetic moment. This finding suggests that the spin-polarized itinerant part in the magnetic Compton profile is used as a scale that can measure the strength of the sp-d interaction. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3694004]