Understanding of electronic structure and magnetism of body-centered cubic Co-Mn-Fe alloys for magnetic tunnel junctions
Phys. Rev. Materials 9, 114406 – Published 12 November, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/pw88-4llt
Abstract
Using first-principles calculations we investigated the electronic structure, magnetic properties, and structural stability of ternary Co-Mn-Fe alloys in their disordered body-centered cubic structures. The robustness of the presence of the spin-polarized band at the Fermi level is confirmed for a wide range of chemical compositions, which is beneficial in obtaining a large tunneling magnetoresistance ratio when utilized as the electrode materials for a MgO-based magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ). Very high ferromagnetic transition temperature () evaluated on the basis of a mean-field approximation is reported here, which will effectively reduce the thermal fluctuation of the spin moments at the interface with MgO. A remarkably low value of Gilbert damping constant () has been obtained in this study. Furthermore, the Co-Mn-Fe alloys possess a sizably large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy when they are tetragonally distorted. These findings support the viability of the Co-Mn-Fe alloys as a potential candidate for the electrode materials in the MgO-based MTJ.