Ab initio study of the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of Co$_{2}$FeGa and Co$_{2}$FeSi and their future contribution to the building of quantum devices

Authors: ABDALLAH OUMSALEM, YAMINA BOUREZIG, ZAKIA NABI, BADRA BOUABDALLAH

Abstract: How small can an electronic device be and still function? How many atoms are needed for such device? At what point will the semiconductor fabrication technology be unable to construct anything smaller? These are common questions asked by researchers, and the answers indicate the short-term limitations on the use of semiconductor technology. When we reach these limitations, we can propose two methods to solve these problems: first, we could continue using semiconductor technology, alongside the development of new theories and techniques to counter quantum effects caused by the miniaturization of electronic devices like transistors and microprocessors. Second, we could exploit these quantum effects to invent a new generation of electronic devices. Doing that, we propose spintronics or the use of spin properties. Heusler compounds as cobalt base alloys (Co$_{2}$YZ) present particular interest for spin electronics applications. In this paper, we present properties and results for two cobalt base alloys, Co$_{2}$FeGa and Co$_{2}$FeSi. These properties are interesting for the field of quantum computation. In the first part of this paper we introduce Moore's law, which explains the major limits of semiconductor technology. Then we discuss the results of our calculations based on the use of density functional theory and the WIEN2K program. This is for the purpose of making new quantum devices.

Keywords: Heusler alloys, Co$_{2}$FeGa, Co$_{2}$FeSi, spin polarization, quantum devices

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