First-principles investigations of reference states of Co$_2$CrIn Heusler alloys

In order to identify the reasons for the differences between the available theoretical and experimental values of the total magnetic moment of Co$_2$CrIn Heusler alloy, in this work we studied the effects of various magnetic reference states on the magnetic and electronic properties of the alloys by means of ab initio and Monte Carlo methods. It is shown that the calculated ground state in the L2$_1$ phase is ferromagnetic. However, the values for both lattice parameter and magnetic moment calculated for the ferrimagnetic state, where the Cr atoms are ordered antiferromagnetically, are found to be in good agreement with the available experimental data. It is shown that the half-metallic behavior is realized only in the case of the ferromagnetic order. By using the calculated exchange coupling parameters in the Heisenberg Hamiltonian, the temperature dependences of magnetization were simulated.