Electronic and Magnetic Properties of SnFe2O4 Spinel Ferrites

In this work, the electronic and magnetic properties of SnFe₂O₄ spinel ferrite with various cation distributions (mixed, normal and inverse spinel phases) were studied. The calculations were performed by Korringa–Kohn–Rostoker (KKR)-coherent potential approximation (CPA) method with generalized gradient (GGA) approximation for the exchange and correlation functional. Our spin-polarized calculations give a half-metallic character for SnFe₂O₄ inverse spinel phase and near half-metallic character for SnFe₂O₄ mixed spinel phase and metal character for SnFe₂O₄ normal spinel phase. These results, which contribute to understanding the effect of the cation distribution in SnFe₂O₄ ferrite with spinel structure in the existence of gap states occupied by majority and minority spin electrons, the spin magnetic moments, the magnetization and the half-metallic behaviour.