Do we need either of the bands in spin up or spin down just cross fermi level or the band should be continuous after crossing the fermi level to declare that material as half metal
When we talk about half metals, we talk about two faced characters. Picture this: one spin of electrons is all "metallic," freely moving about and conducting electricity, while the other spin is more reserved, either fully occupied or with a band gap, acting all insulating or semiconducting. Exactly as its name suggests HALF METALLIC.
So, to decide if a material is a half metal, it's like checking if one of these electron spins has its band intersecting the Fermi level that's our mark of metallic behavior. It doesn't have to be a continuous stretch, just a good portion of it mingling around the Fermi level. Meanwhile, the other spin's band can either be fully occupied or have a gap there, showing its non-metallic behavior.
So it's all about this split personality of the electron bands. There are two friends one is introvert and the other is extrovert– that defines a material as a half metal. In case of metal all the friends in group are extrovert.
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