Tuning the Structural, Magnetic, and Mechanical Properties of Co_2-xFeV_xAl.

Heusler alloys are ternary intermetallic compounds widely used in spintronic, thermoelectric, and magnetic-sensing applications because of their tunable magnetic and electronic properties. Their unique functional characteristics, such as half-metallicity, shape-memory behavior, and magnetocaloric effects make them suitable for advanced applications in memory, energy, and quantum technology. The full Heusler alloy Co₂FeAl is one of the most extensively investigated alloys due to its high magnetic moment and Curie temperature (T_c). However, at finite temperatures, its half-metallic property becomes unstable. Doping with low-valent transition metal (e.g., Sc, Ti, V and Cr) has been shown to stabilize robust half-metallicity. For instance, substitution of Titanium exhibits the formation of highly ordered L2₁ or B2 structures. Motivated by these findings, our study explores the effect of Vanadium substitution for Cobalt in Co₂FeAl. Since Vanadium got one additional valence electron compared to Titanium, its incorporation is expected to alter the electronic structure differently. We prepared bulk Co_2-xFeV_xAl (0 ≤ x ≤1) alloys in an arc melter under high purity argon pressure and then heat treated them. The initial Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy results verify the incorporation of vanadium and that the samples have nearly correct compositions, good homogeneity and single-phase structures. These results confirm that the synthesis process is reliable and provides a groundwork for future studies on how Vanadium substitution influences the structural, magnetic, and mechanical behavior of Co_2-xFeV_xAl.