Orbital magnetic moment of "half-metallic" CO2MnGe

Co and Mn 3d electronic states of Co2MnGe have been studied by 2p core absorption (XAS) and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). The evaluated Co and Mn 3d spin magnetic moments are consistent with the value by the band structure calculation. We have found that the orbital magnetic moment of the Co 3d and even the Mn 3d states are recognizable, which suggests that a spin-orbit coupling should be reconsidered in the energy band structure in order to verify a half-metallic nature of this alloy. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.