HeuslerVerbindungen

HeuslerVerbindungen, also known as Heusler alloys, are a class of intermetallic compounds with the general formula XYZ or X2YZ. Discovered by Fritz Heusler in the early 20th century, these materials exhibit fascinating magnetic properties, often displaying ferromagnetism despite not containing any of the traditional ferromagnetic elements like iron, cobalt, or nickel in their elemental form. The magnetism arises from the specific arrangement of elements and their electron configurations within the crystal structure.

The most common Heusler compounds crystallize in the cubic MgCu2 (Laves phase) or related structures. Early research focused on Mn-based compounds such as Cu2MnAl, which showed pronounced ferromagnetism. Subsequent investigations revealed a wide range of Heusler compounds with diverse magnetic behaviors, including ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic, and paramagnetic states, as well as spin-gapless semiconducting properties.

The tunability of their magnetic and electronic characteristics through elemental substitution makes HeuslerVerbindungen attractive for various technological applications. These include potential uses in magnetic data storage, spintronics, magnetic sensors, and thermoelectric devices. Ongoing research continues to explore new compositions and their properties, aiming to optimize performance for specific applications and to uncover novel quantum phenomena.