No Arabic abstract
Using the ab initio FLAPW-GGA method we examine the electronic and magnetic properties of nitrogen-doped non-magnetic sesquioxide La2O3 emphasizing the role of doping sites in the occurrence of d0-magnetism. We predict the magnetization of La2O3 induced by nitrogen impurity in both octahedral and tetrahedral sites of the oxygen sublattice. The most interesting results are that (i) the total magnetic moments (about 1 {mu}B per supercells) are independent of the doping site, whereas (ii) the electronic spectra of these systems differ drastically: La2O3:N with six-fold coordinated nitrogen behaves as a narrow-band-gap magnetic semiconductor, whereas with four-fold coordinated nitrogen is predicted to be a magnetic half-metal. This effect is explained taking into account the differences in N-2pz versus N-2px,y orbital splitting for various doping sites. Thus, the type of the doping site is one of the essential factors for designing of new d0-magnetic materials with promising properties.
The complicated electronic, magnetic, and colossal magnetoresistant (CMR) properties of Sr and Ca doped lanthanum manganites can be understood by spin-polarized first-principles calculations. The electronic properties can be attributed to a detailed balancing between Sr and Ca induced metal-like O 2p and majority-spin (majority-spin) Mn eg delocalized states and the insulator-like minority-spin (minority-spin) Mn t2g band near the Fermi level (EF). The magnetic properties can be attributed to a detailed balancing between O mediated antiferromagnetic superexchange and delocalized majority-spin Mn eg-state mediated ferromagnetic spin-spin couplings. While CMR can be attributed to the lining up of magnetic domains trigged by the applied magnetic field, which suppresses the trapping ability of the empty Mn t2g states that resists the motion of conducting Mn majority-spin eg electrons.
High Curie temperature of 900 K has been reported in Cr-doped AlN diluted magnetic semiconductors prepared by various methods, which is exciting for spintronic applications. It is believed that N defects play important roles in achieving the high temperature ferromagnetism in good samples. Motivated by these experimental advances, we use a full-potential density-functional-theory method and supercell approach to investigate N defects and their effects on ferromagnetism of (Al,Cr)N with N vacancies (V_N). Calculated results are in agreement with experimental observations and facts of real Cr-doped AlN samples and their synthesis. Our first-principles results are useful to elucidating the mechanism for the ferromagnetism and exploring high-performance Cr-doped AlN diluted magnetic semiconductors.
Using first-principles calculations within the generalized gradient approximation, we predicted the lattice parameters, elastic constants, vibrational properties, and electronic structure of cementite (Fe3C). Its nine single-crystal elastic constants were obtained by computing total energies or stresses as a function of applied strain. Furthermore, six of them were determined from the initial slopes of the calculated longitudinal and transverse acoustic phonon branches along the [100], [010] and [001] directions. The three methods agree well with each other, the calculated polycrystalline elastic moduli are also in good overall agreement with experiments. Our calculations indicate that Fe3C is mechanically stable. The experimentally observed high elastic anisotropy of Fe3C is also confirmed by our study. Based on electronic density of states and charge density distribution, the chemical bonding in Fe3C was analyzed and was found to exhibit a complex mixture of metallic, covalent, and ionic characters.
We have given a summary on our theoretical predictions of three kinds of topological semimetals (TSMs), namely, Dirac semimetal (DSM), Weyl semimetal (WSM) and Node-Line Semimetal (NLSM). TSMs are new states of quantum matters, which are different with topological insulators. They are characterized by the topological stability of Fermi surface, whether it encloses band crossing point, i.e., Dirac cone like energy node, or not. They are distinguished from each other by the degeneracy and momentum space distribution of the nodal points. To realize these intriguing topological quantum states is quite challenging and crucial to both fundamental science and future application. In 2012 and 2013, Na$_3$Bi and Cd$_3$As$_2$ were theoretically predicted to be DSM, respectively. Their experimental verifications in 2014 have ignited the hot and intensive studies on TSMs. The following theoretical prediction of nonmagnetic WSM in TaAs family stimulated a second wave and many experimental works have come out in this year. In 2014, a kind of three dimensional crystal of carbon has been proposed to be NLSM due to negligible spin-orbit coupling and coexistence of time-reversal and inversion symmetry. Though the final experimental confirmation of NLSM is still missing, there have been several theoretical proposals, including Cu$_3$PdN from us. In the final part, we have summarized the whole family of TSMs and their relationship.
Two-dimensional (2D) multiferroics exhibit cross-control capacity between magnetic and electric responses in reduced spatial domain, making them well suited for next-generation nanoscale devices; however, progress has been slow in developing materials with required characteristic properties. Here we identify by first-principles calculations robust 2D multiferroic behaviors in decorated Fe2O3 monolayer, showcasing N@Fe2O3 as a prototypical case, where ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism stem from the same origin, namely Fe d-orbit splitting induced by the Jahn-Teller distortion and associated crystal field changes. The resulting ferromagnetic and ferroelectric polarization can be effectively reversed and regulated by applied electric field or strain, offering efficient functionality. These findings establish strong materials phenomena and elucidate underlying physics mechanism in a family of truly 2D multiferroics that are highly promising for advanced device applications.