Study of Structural and Magnetic Properties of Antiferromagnetic Cr2MnGe Heusler Alloy

Engineered Heusler alloys have potential applications in spintronic devices owing to their fascinating properties. Therefore, we synthesized a ternary Cr₂MnGe Heusler alloy using a simple solid-state reaction. Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction data confirmed the presence of a cubic Fd-3m structure, specifically the B32a disorder Heusler phase with a space group number of 227. The microstructure and chemical composition of the Cr₂MnGe sample confirmed agglomeration and adherence to the nominal composition of the Heusler alloy. Furthermore, the Cr₂MnGe sample exhibits antiferromagnetic behavior with ferromagnetic clusters due to the site swapping of Cr–Mn and Cr–Ge, which contributes to a magnetic signal in the zero-field-cooled and field-cooled measurements. These findings highlight the potential of Cr₂MnGe for application in magnetic tunnel junctions and spin valves, contributing to advancements in spintronic technologies.