Transition-metal embedded carbon nitride monolayers: High-temperature ferromagnetism and half-metallicity

Abstract

High-temperature ferromagnetic materials with planar surfaces are promising candidates for spintronics applications. Using state-of-the-art density functional theory (DFT) calculations, transition metal (TM = Cr, Mn, and Fe) incorporated graphitic carbon nitride (TM@gt-C3N4) systems are investigated as possible spintronics devices. Interestingly, ferromagnetism and half-metallicity were observed in all of the TM@gt-C3N4 systems. We find that Cr@gt-C3N4 is a nearly half-metallic ferromagnetic material with a Curie temperature of ∼450 K. The calculated Curie temperature is noticeably higher than other planar 2D materials studied to date. Furthermore, it has a steel-like mechanical stability and also possesses remarkable dynamic and thermal (500 K) stability. The calculated magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) in Cr@gt-C3N4 is as high as 137.26 μeV per Cr. Thereby, such material with a high Curie temperature can be operated at high temperatures for spintronics devices. © 2016 The Royal Society of Chemistry.