The state of the art ab initio calculations reveal the effect of a scanning tunnelling microscopy tip on magnetic properties and conductance of a benzene-adatom sandwich on Cu(001). We concentrate on a benzene-Co system interacting with a Cr tip. Our studies give a clear evidence that magnetism and conductance in molecule-adatom junctions can be tailored by the STM tip. Varying the tip-substrate distance the magnetic moment of the Co adatom can be switched on/off. The interplay between spin-polarized electron transport through the junction and its magnetic properties is demonstrated. A spin-filter effect in the junction is predicted.
We examine the adsorption of a single Ni atom on a monolayer of MgO on a Ag substrate using DFT and DFT+U computational approaches. We find that the electronic and magnetic properties vary considerably across the three binding sites of the surface. Two of the binding sites are competitive in energy, and the preferred site depends on the strength of the on-site Coulomb interaction U. These results can be understood in terms of the competition between bonding and magnetism for surface adsorbed transition metal atoms. Comparisons are made with a recent experimental and theoretical study of Co on …
A combined experimental, using X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism and theoretical investigation, using full-potential Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker (KKR) Green function method, is carried out to study the spin structure of small magnetic Cr adatom--clusters on the surface of 3 monolayers of $fcc$ Fe deposited on Cu(001). The exchange interaction between the different Cr adatoms as well as between the Cr atoms and the Fe atoms is of antiferromagnetic nature and of comparable magnitude, leading due to frustration to complex non-collinear magnetic configurations. The presence of non-collinear magnetic co…
The nature of the magnetism brought about by Fe adatoms on the surface of the topological insulator Bi2Se3 was examined in terms of density functional calculations. The Fe adatoms exhibit strong easy-axis magnetic anisotropy in the dilute adsorption limit due to the topological surface states (TSS). The spin exchange J between the Fe adatoms follows a Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) behavior with substantial anisotropy, and the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction between them is quite strong with |D/J|~0.3 under the mediation by the TSS, and can be further raised to ~0.6 by an external…
We show that an individual adatom on a magnetic surface can exhibit a noncollinear spin density. Using density functional theory we study Co and Ir adatoms on a Mn monolayer on the W(110) surface which possesses a noncollinear canted spin structure. Due to hybridization with the nearest and next-nearest Mn atoms of the monolayer the spin direction of the underlying substrate is encoded into the orbitals of the adatom. This explains recent scanning tunneling microscopy experiments showing a spin sensitive shape asymmetry of adatoms [Serrate \emph{et al.}, Phys. Rev. B \textbf{93}, 125424 (2016)…
Magnetic Weyl semimetals are expected to have extraordinary physical properties such as a chiral anomaly and large anomalous Hall effects that may be useful for future, potential, spintronics applications. However, in most known host materials, multiple pairs of Weyl points prevent a clear manifestation of the intrinsic topological effects. Our recent density functional theory (DFT) calculations study suggest that EuCd$_{2}$As$_{2}$ can host Dirac fermions in an antiferromagnetically (AFM) ordered state or a single pair of Weyl fermions in a ferromagnetically (FM) ordered state. Unfortunately,…
The dramatic changes in electronic and magnetic properties are investigated using the first-principles calculations for (Cl, Br, I, At)-adsorbed graphene nanoribbons. The rich and unique features are clearly revealed in the adatom-dominated band structures, p-type doping, spin arrangement/magnetic moment, spatial charge distribution, and orbital- and spin-projected density of states. Halogen adsorptions can create the non-magnetic, ferromagnetic or anti-ferromagnetic metals, being mainly determined by concentrations and edge structures. The number of holes per unit cell increases with the adat…
The combination of the unique properties of graphene with spin polarization and magnetism for the design of new spintronic concepts and devices has been hampered by the small Coulomb interaction and the tiny spin-orbit coupling of carbon in pristine graphene. Such device concepts would take advantage of the control of the spin degree of freedom utilizing the widely available electric fields in electronics or of topological transport mechanisms such as the conjectured quantum anomalous Hall effect. Here we show, using first-principles methods, that 5d transition-metal (TM) adatoms deposited on …
We investigate the possible magnetism on the Si(111)-$\sqrt 3 \times \sqrt 3$ surface, which is stabilized for highly boron-doped samples, by using first-principles calculations. When the silicon adatom on top of a boron atom is removed to form a defect structure, three silicon dangling bonds are exposed generating half-filled doubly degenerate energy levels in the band gap which stabilizes a local magnetic moment of 2 $μ_{\rm B}$. When there are many such defect structures adjacent one another, they are found to align antiferromagnetically. However, we demonstrate that the ferromagnetism can …
It has been proposed that antiferromagnetic Fe adatom spins on semiconductor Cu-N surfaces can be used to store information [S. Loth {\it et al}, Science \textbf{335}, 196 (2012)]. Here, we investigate spin dynamics of such antiferromagnetic systems through Monte Carlo simulations. We find out the temperature and size laws of switching rates of Néel states and show that the Néel states can become stable enough for the information storage when the number of spins reaches to one or two dozens of the Fe spins. We also explore promising methods for manipulating the Néel states. These could help re…
Prediction of induced magnetism in 2D Ti$_2$C based MXene by manipulating the mixed surface functionalization and metal substitution computed by xTB model Hamiltonian of the DFTB method
Using density functional theory, we investigate the electronic and magnetic properties of $3d$ transition-metal adatoms adsorbed on a monolayer of Mn on W(110). Mn/W(110) has a noncollinear cycloidal spin-spiral ground state with an angle of 173$^\circ$ between magnetic moments of adjacent Mn rows. It allows to rotate the spin orientation of an adsorbed magnetic adatom quasi-continuously. Therefore, this surface is ideally suited for manipulating the spin direction of individual atoms and exploring their magnetic properties using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The adsorbed V and Cr trans…
Controlling magnetism of transition metal atoms by pairing with $π$ electronic states of graphene is intriguing. Herein, through first - principle computation we explore the possibility of switching magnetization by forming the tetrahedral $sp^3$ - metallic $d$ hybrid bonds. Graphene multilayers capped by single - layer cobalt atoms can transform into the $sp^3$ - bonded diamond films upon the hydrogenation of the bottom surface. While the conversion is favored by hybridization between the $sp^3$ dangling bonds and metallic $d_{z^2}$ states, such a strong hybridization can lead to the reorient…
In this article, we present our results on bilayers assembled upon strategic placement of Cd$_6$Se$_6$ clusters. These bilayers are studied for their stability and electronic structure with the help of density functional theory and are further analyzed using Bardeen, Tersoff and Hamann formalism for their tunneling properties. Our calculations show that the hexagonal arrangement of these clusters prevails as the most stable geometry showing all real phonon modes. First-principles molecular dynamics studies on this 2D structure show that it remains intact even at room temperature. This bilayer …
Controlling functionalities, such as magnetism or ferroelectricity, by means of oxygen vacancies (VO) is a key issue for the future development of transition metal oxides. Progress in this field is currently addressed through VO variations and their impact on mainly one order parameter. Here we reveal a new mechanism for tuning both magnetism and ferroelectricity simultaneously by using VO. Combined experimental and density-functional theory studies of Eu0.5Ba0.5TiO3-δ, we demonstrate that oxygen vacancies create Ti3+ 3d1 defect states, mediating the ferromagnetic coupling between the localize…
It has been a long-standing goal to create magnetism in a nonmagnetic material by manipulating its structure at the nanometer scale. This idea may be realized in graphitic carbon: evidence suggests magnetic states at the edges of graphene ribbons and at grain boundaries in graphite. Such phenomena have long been regarded as unlikely in silicon because there is no graphitic bulk phase. Here we show theoretically that intrinsic magnetism indeed exists in a class of silicon surfaces whose step edges have a nanoscale graphitic structure. This magnetism is intimately connected to recent observation…
Inspired by a recent pressure experiment in fcc Ni, we propose a simple method to use pressure to investigate the laser-induced femtosecond magnetism. Since the pressure effect on the electronic and magnetic properties can be well controlled experimentally, this leaves little room for ambiguity when compared with theory. Here we report our theoretical pressure results in fcc Ni: Pressure first suppresses the spin moment reduction, and then completely diminishes it; further increase in pressure to 40 GPa induces a demagnetization-to-magnetization transition. To reveal its microscopic origin, we…
Theoretical and experimental investigation of the electronic and magnetic structure of transition metal atoms on an insulating interface with a metallic substrate at low temperatures is quite challenging. In this paper, we show a density functional theory plus Hubbard $U$ based protocol to study an Mn adatom on three symmetrically allowed absorption sites, namely on O, hollow (between two Mg and two O) and on Mg on MgO(001). We added a thick enough(bulk-like) metallic Ag slab beneath MgO for faithful replication of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) experiments. Our study reveals that to dete…
We have carried out collinear and non-collinear electronic structure calculations to investigate the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of isolated Cr atoms, dimers and compact trimers. We find that the Cr monomer prefers to adsrob on the fcc hollow site with a binding energy of 3.13 eV and a magnetic moment of of 3.93 $μ_B$. The calculated Kondo temperature of 0.7 K for the monomer is consistent with the lack of a Kondo peak in scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) experiments at 7 K. The compact Cr dimer orders antiferromagnetically and its bond length contracts to 1.72 $Å$ close t…
We present first principles calculations of the magnetic moments and magnetic anisotropy energies of small Fe, Co and Ni clusters on top of a Ag(100) surface as well as the exchange-coupling energy between two single adatoms of Fe or Co on Ag(100). The calculations are performed fully relativistically using the embedding technique within the Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker method. The magnetic anisotropy and the exchange-coupling energies are calculated by means of the force theorem. In the case of adatoms and dimers of iron and cobalt we obtain enhanced spin moments and, especially, unusually large or…
Manipulating the interlayer magnetic coupling in van der Waals magnetic materials and heterostructures is the key to tailoring their magnetic and electronic properties for various electronic applications and fundamental studies in condensed matter physics. By utilizing the MnBi2Te4-family compounds and their heterostructures as a model system, we systematically studied the dependence of the sign and strength of interlayer magnetic coupling on constituent elements by using first-principles calculations. It was found that the coupling is a long-range superexchange interaction mediated by the cha…
Organic and molecule-based magnets are not easily attainable, because to introduce stable paramagnetic centers to pure organic systems is challenging. Crystalline covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with high designability and chemical diversity constitute ideal platforms to access intriguing magnetic phenomena of organic materials. In this work, we proposed a general approach to attain unpaired electron spin and metal-free magnetism in narrow-band COFs by chemical doping. By using density functional theory calculations, we found that dopants with energy-matched frontier orbitals to COFs not on…
Magnetic two-dimensional (2D) materials have received tremendous attention recently due to its potential application in spintronics and other magnetism related fields. To our knowledge, five kinds of 2D materials with intrinsic magnetism have been synthesized in experiment. They are CrI3, Cr2Ge2Te6, FePS3, Fe3GeTe2 and VSe2. Apart from the above intrinsic magnetic 2D materials, many strategies have also been proposed to induce magnetism in normal 2D materials such as atomic modification, spin valve and proximity effect. Various devices have also been designed to fulfill the basic functions of …
Manipulating quantum state via electrostatic gating has been intriguing for many model systems in nanoelectronics. When it comes to the question of controlling the electron spins, more specifically, the magnetism of a system, tuning with electric field has been proven to be elusive. Recently, magnetic layered semiconductors have attracted much attention due to their emerging new physical phenomena. However, challenges still remain in the demonstration of a gate controllable magnetism based on them. Here, we show that, via ionic gating, strong field effect can be observed in few-layered semicon…
Tailoring magnetism of nanographenes via tip-controlled dehydrogenation
Empa—Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology（瑞士联邦材料科技研究院）；Technical University of Dresden（德累斯顿工业大学）；University of Zurich（苏黎世大学）；University of Bern（伯尔尼大学）；Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics（马克斯·普朗克微观结构物理研究所）
The exceptional magnetic, optical and phononic properties of Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG) make it unique for spin-wave based and photonic applications. Yet, nanostructuring crystalline YIG and manipulating its magnetism in a non-destructive way is an outstanding challenge, and so far mostly limited to two-dimensional capabilities. Here, we show that irradiation of single-crystal YIG films with a focused UV laser drives a stable, giant enhancement of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, preserving the crystalline quality. This modulation is highly confined at the nanoscale in both the lateral an…
Manipulating Spin-Lattice Coupling in Layered Magnetic Topological Insulator Heterostructure $via$ Interface Engineering
Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science（印度科学文化研究所）；University of Maine（缅因大学）；Bose Institute（博斯研究所）；UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research, Indore Centre（UGC-DAE科学研究联盟印多尔中心）
The effect of x-rays on an orbital and charge ordered epitaxial film of a Pr$_{0.5}$Ca$_{0.5}$MnO$_{3}$ is presented. As the film is exposed to x-rays, the antiferromagnetic response increases and concomitantly the conductivity of the film improve. These results are discussed in terms of a persistent x-ray induced doping, leading to a modification of the magnetic structure. This effect allows writing electronic and magnetic domains in the film and represents a novel way of manipulating magnetism.
We investigate the effect of oxygen vacancies and hydrogen dopants at the surface and inside slabs of LaAlO3, SrTiO3, and LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures on the electronic properties by means of electronic structure calculations as based on density functional theory. Depending on the concentration, the presence of these defects in LaAlO3 slab can suppress the surface conductivity. In contrast, in insulating SrTiO3 slabs already very small concentrations of oxygen vacancies or hydrogen dopant atoms induce a finite occupation of the conduction band. Surface defects in insulating LaAlO3/SrTiO3 het…
A systematic study is conducted on the fluorination-enriched essential properties of 2D graphene and 1D graphene nanoribbons using the first-principles method. The combined effects, which arise from the significant chemical bonds in C-C, F-C and F-F bonds, the finite-size quantum confinement, and the edge structure, can greatly diversify geometric structures, electronic properties and magnetic configurations. By the detailed analyses, the critical orbital hybridizations in determining the essential properties are accurately identified from the atom-dominated energy bands, the spatial charge di…
We present an ab-initio density function theory to investigate the electronic and magnetic structures of the bilayer graphene with intercalated atoms C, N, and O. The intercalated atom although initially positioned at the middle site of the bilayer interval will finally be adsorbed to one graphene layer. Both N and O atoms favor the bridge site (i.e. above the carbon-carbon bonding of the lower graphene layer), while the C atom prefers the hollow site (i.e. just above a carbon atom of the lower graphene layer and simultaneously below the center of a carbon hexagon of the upper layer). Concerni…
The helical Dirac fermions on the surface of topological insulators host novel relativistic quantum phenomena in solids. Manipulating spins of topological surface state (TSS) represents an essential step towards exploring the theoretically predicted exotic states related to time reversal symmetry (TRS) breaking via magnetism or magnetic field. Understanding Zeeman effect of TSS and determining its g-factor are pivotal for such manipulations in the latter form of TRS breaking. Here, we report those direct experimental observations in Bi2Se3 and Sb2Te2Se by spectroscopic imaging scanning tunneli…
