ISSN:
1089-7550
Source:
AIP Digital Archive
Topics:
Physics
Notes:
First principles electronic structure calculations are used to predict the energy dependence of the polar Kerr effect in MnBi, MnSb, and a Mn2BiSb alloy. The compounds all have respectable Kerr angles and thus are potential data storage media. The technique used in this work is a full-potential linearized augmented Slater orbital approach. The Kerr angle is obtained from the conductivity tensor that is calculated, within linear response theory, using the Kubo formula. There are several desirable features in this approach. First, unlike methods based upon muffin-tin potentials, open crystal structures present no problems. Second, since the electronic wave functions are defined over the crystal unit cell rather than over space filling overlapping spheres, difficulties in handling the interstitial part of the required matrix elements are avoided. Finally, the small basis set (25 orbitals per atom) leads to reasonable computational times. Results of these calculations show that the Kerr angle in MnBi is above 1° at 1.6 eV and that its variation over 2–4 eV is linear and decreasing. MnSb shows a smaller rotation, about 0.5°, that is almost constant up to 3 eV and then also decreases linearly. The Kerr rotation of Mn2BiSb is approximately the average of MnBi and MnSb. This work has been supported in part by the Louisiana Quality Education Support Fund under Grant No. LEQSF (1991–1994)-RD-A-30. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.361890
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