Abstract
Spin-polarized density functional theory is used to study the TiO2 terminated interfaces between the magnetic Heusler alloys Co2Si (M = Ti, V, Cr, Mn, and Fe) and the non-polar band insulator SrTiO3. The structural relaxation at the interface turns out to depend systematically on the lattice mis-match. Charge transfer from the Heusler alloys (mainly the M 3d orbitals) to the Ti dxy orbitals of the TiO2 interface layer is found to gradually grow from M = Ti to Fe, resulting in an electron gas with increasing density of spin-polarized charge carriers. (C) 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim