Intrinsic impurity-band Stoner ferromagnetism in C60Hn

Effects of biaxial strain on the impurity-induced magnetism in P-doped graphene and N-doped silicene: a first principles study

The effects of biaxial strain on the impurity-induced magnetism in P-doped graphene (P-graphene) and N-doped silicene (N-silicene) are studied by means of spin-polarized density functional calculations, using the supercell approach. The calculations were performed for three different supercell sizes 4 × 4, 5 × 5, and 6 × 6, in order to simulate three different dopant concentrations 3.1, 2.0 and 1.4%, respectively. For both systems, the calculated magnetic moment is 1.0 μ _B per impurity atom for the three studied concentrations. From the analysis of the electronic structure and the total energy as a function of the magnetization, we show that a Stoner-type model describing the electronic instability of the narrow impurity band accounts for the origin of sp-magnetism in P-graphene and N-silicene. Under biaxial strain the impurity band dispersion increases and the magnetic moment gradually decreases, with the consequent collapse of the magnetization at moderate strain values. Thus, we found that biaxial strain induces a magnetic quantum phase transition in P-graphene and N-silicene.

An organic approach for nanostructured multiferroics

Multiferroics are materials that simultaneously exhibit more than one ferroic order parameters, such as ferroelectricity, ferroelasticity and ferromagnetism. Recently, multiferroicity has received a significant revival of interest due to the colossal magnetoelectric coupling effect for the development of nano-ferronics. In this mini-review, we focus on a recent study of ferroelectricity, magnetism and magnetoelectric coupling within the newly discovered organic charge-transfer complexes. A systemic understanding of the origin of organic ferroelectricity and magnetism is provided. Furthermore, based on the recent mechanism of the magnetoelectric coupling effect: spin-ordering-induced electric polarization and ferroelectricity-induced spin alignment, we further present the recent progress in organic charge-transfer multiferroics and metal-organic framework multiferroics. The coexistence of polarization and magnetism at room temperature of organic charge-transfer complexes will be critical for the development of all-organic multiferroics.

Field-induced transition from room-temperature ferromagnetism to diamagnetism in proton-irradiated fullerene

Room-temperature ferromagnetism in proton-irradiated C60 fullerene is demonstrated. The ferromagnetism turns into diamagnetism intrinsic to the fullerene as the magnetic field increases above a critical field.

Microscopic distribution of metal dopants and anion vacancies in Fe-doped BaTiO(3-δ) single crystals

A detailed microscopic structural study on two single crystalline dilute magnetic oxides, BaTi0.95Fe0.05O(3-δ) with and without perceptible δ, has been carried out. Although it has been reported earlier that varying δ significantly affects high temperature ferromagnetism, the real distribution/redistribution of vacancies and dopant Fe ions inside the 6H hexagonal structure was never probed. This study reveals that oxygen vacancies reduce the dopant Fe(3+) ions to Fe(2+) and mostly accumulate around these Fe(2+) ions. Another distinct trend is the tendency of the dopant Fe ions to get closer instead of being distributed randomly, thereby creating Fe2(2+)O(9-δ') like dimers within the 6H hexagonal unit cell. This experimental observation definitively confirms previous hypotheses based on theoretical models.

Antiferromagnetic ordering of dangling-bond electrons at the stepped Si(001) surface

Using first-principles density-functional calculations, we explore the possibility of magnetic order at the rebonded DB step of the Si(001) surface. The rebonded DB step containing threefold coordinated Si atoms can be treated as a one-dimensional dangling-bond (DB) wire along the step edge. We find that Si atoms composing the step edge are displaced up and down alternatively due to Jahn-Teller-like distortion, but, if Si dimers on the terrace are passivated by H atoms, the antiferromagnetic (AFM) order can be stabilized at the step edge with a suppression of Jahn-Teller-like distortion. We also find that the energy preference of AFM order over Jahn-Teller-like distortion is enhanced in an oscillatory way as the length of DB wires decreases, showing the so-called quantum size effects.