A FLAPW STUDY OF AN UNUSUAL HALF-MAGNETIC MATERIAL PTMNSB

Heusler ternary compounds reveal very interesting characteristics related to unusually large magneto-optic effect. In this work we perform a first-principles all-electron study of the structural and electronic properties of PtMnSb with particular focus on the projected densities of states for the majority and minority spin components and on the electronic band. In fact, the band structure shows a band gap or a well defined Fermi surface depending on the spin orientation. This peculiarity allows for a semiconductor or a metallic behaviour that can be tuned by an external magnetic field leading to possible application as recording device.