Conductivity measurements of Heusler Alloys foruse as superconductors in magnetic memory

Heusler alloys have shown potential to possess spintronic characteristics. The use of these crystals for potential advancements in room-temperature semiconductor technology appears promising. Testing the conductivity of the materials provides further insight into the atomic structure of the electrons in the material. We conducted measurements on Heusler alloy crystals through spectroscopy from far-infrared-to-ultraviolet wavelengths. Co2MnGa-Ge alloys were tested as a supplement to previous Co2MnGa research to find improvements in their conductivity. The reflectivity measurements from the spectrometer give clues to the band structures and the electron reaction to frequency of light incident on the sample. To probe the band structure of the atoms, models were constructed with a Drude term and four Lorentzian oscillators. The Drude term determines the conductivity of the crystal’s electrons at their least excited state. The Lorentzians correspond to inter-band interactions. From the complete model, a conductivity vs. frequency of light graph shows the transitions of electrons at certain wavelengths, allowing the identification of the structure of the electron states in Heusler alloys.