Role of intrinsic defects in ferromagnetism of SnO2 : First-principles calculations

Autor: Hanmin Jin, Xiaobo Du, Zhihuan Lan, Kai Li, Yu Yan, Hongxia Wang
Rok vydání: 2009
Předmět:
Zdroj: physica status solidi (b). 247:444-448
ISSN: 0370-1972
Popis: The effects of tin interstitial (Sni), oxygen vacancy (VO), and Sni + VO defect pair on the electronic structure and magnetic properties of undoped SnO2 are investigated by means of density functional calculations. Only single positively charged O vacancies V can induce local magnetic moments in bulk SnO2. The magnetic coupling between two V calculated by generalized gradient approximation (GGA) is ferromagnetic. Self-consistent bandgap correction, which is achieved by adding a Coulomb U on O-2s orbital, results in the full occupation of the spin-up gap state of V. Consequently, the magnetic coupling calculated by GGA + US becomes antiferromagnetic, which shows that a self-consistent bandgap correction is essential for the correct description of the magnetism in widegap SnO2. The results indicate that O vacancy in bulk SnO2 cannot induce ferromagnetism, which suggests that the atoms or defects located at the surface or substrate interface may play a key role in turning the ferromagnetism observed in undoped SnO2.
Databáze: OpenAIRE