First-principles prediction of insulating antiferromagnet in ordered double-perovskite Ca2MnMoO6 compound

Abstract

Using first-principle calculations within the framework of density functional theory (DFT), the full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave (FP-LAPW) method have been performed to investigate structural, electronic and magnetic properties of the Ca2MnMoO6 double perovskite. Different spin configurations (ferromagnetic (FM), ferrimagnetic (FiM), and anti-ferromagnetic AFM1, and AFM2) within both generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and [Formula: see text] (Hubbard Coulomb onsite correction) were considered. The value of the Hubbard−Coulomb [Formula: see text] parameter was varied in the range of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]eV. The ground state is found to be AFM and insulating with the AFM1 state which is the most favorable. In the AFM1 spin configuration, Ca2MnMoO6 compound has a semiconductor nature, with the fully spin-polarized valence and conduction bands in the same spin channel. Within the [Formula: see text] approximation, the FM phase has a half-metallic character with a net magnetic moment of [Formula: see text] while in the anti-ferromagnetic phase it has an insulating character with zero net magnetic moment which was found at [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]eV. We found that in the AFM phase within the GGA approximation, a metallic character is obtained for Ca2MnMoO6 and also for [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]eV. In particular, for Hubbard [Formula: see text] of 3.6[Formula: see text]eV, a small energy gap of 0.20[Formula: see text]eV is observed. The main features shown by the density of states curves motivate further experimental exploration in the double perovskite Ca2MnMoO6 for spintronic applications.