Strain-tunable magnetic anisotropy in two-dimensional Dirac half-metals: nickel trihalides.

ABSTRACT: The recent discovery of intrinsic two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnetism has sparked intense interest due to the potential applications in spintronics. Magnetic anisotropy energy defines the stability of magnetization in a specific direction with respect to the crystal lattice and is an important parameter for nanoscale applications. In this work, using first-principles calculations we predict that 2D NiX₃ (X = Cl, Br, and I) can be a family of intrinsic Dirac half-metals characterized by a band structure with an insulator gap in one spin channel and a Dirac cone in the other. The combination of 100% spin polarization and massless Dirac fermions renders the monolayer NiX₃ a superior candidate material for efficient spin injection and high spin mobility. The NiX₃

SUBMITTER: Li Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9074703 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature