English

Lanthanide impurities in wide bandgap semiconductors: a possible roadmap for spintronic devices

Materials Science 2013-07-12 v1

Abstract

The electronic properties of lanthanide (from Eu to Tm) impurities in wurtzite gallium nitride and zinc oxide were investigated by first principles calculations, using an all electron methodology plus a Hubbard potential correction. The results indicated that the 4f-related energy levels remain outside the bandgap in both materials, in good agreement with a recent phenomenological model, based on experimental data. Additionally, zinc oxide doped with lanthanide impurities became an n-type material, showing a coupling between the 4f-related spin polarized states and the carriers. This coupling may generate spin polarized currents, which could lead to applications in spintronic devices.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1307.3209,
  title  = {Lanthanide impurities in wide bandgap semiconductors: a possible roadmap for spintronic devices},
  author = {G. Caroena and W. V. M. Machado and J. F. Justo and L. V. C. Assali},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1307.3209},
  year   = {2013}
}

Comments

11 pages, 3 figures