Patent attributes
A device is disclosed. The device includes a tetragonal Heusler compound of the form Mn3-xCoxGe, wherein 0<x≤1, wherein Co accounts for at least 0.4 atomic percent of the Heusler compound. The device also includes a substrate oriented in the direction (001) and of the form YMn1+d, wherein Y includes an element selected from the group consisting of Ir and Pt, and 0≤d≤4. The tetragonal Heusler compound and the substrate are in proximity with each other, thereby allowing spin-polarized current to pass from one through the other. In one aspect, the device also includes a multi-layered structure that is non-magnetic at room temperature. The structure includes alternating layers of Co and E. E includes at least one other element that includes Al. The composition of the structure is represented by Co1-yEy, with y being in the range from 0.45 to 0.55.