Strain engineering of electronic and magnetic properties of Ga2S2 nanoribbons**Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11174220 and 11374226), the Key Scientific Research Project of the Henan Institutions of Higher Learning, China (Grant No. 16A140009), the Program for Innovative Research Team of Henan Polytechnic University, China (Grant Nos. T2015-3 and T2016-2), the Doctoral Foundation of

Abstract

Using first-principles calculations, we study the tailoring of the electronic and magnetic properties of gallium sulfide nanoribbons (Ga2S2NRs) by mechanical strain. Hydrogen-passivated armchair- and zigzag-edged NRs (ANRs and ZNRs) with different widths are investigated. Significant effects in band gap and magnetic properties are found and analyzed. First, the band gaps and their nature of ANRs can be largely tailored by a strain. The band gaps can be markedly reduced, and show an indirect-direct (I-D) transition under a tensile strain. While under an increasing compressive strain, they undergo a series transitions of I-D-I-D. Five strain zones with distinct band structures and their boundaries are identified. In addition, the carrier effective masses of ANRs are also tunable by the strain, showing jumps at the boundaries. Second, the magnetic moments of (ferromagnetic) ZNRs show jumps under an increasing compressive strain due to spin density redistribution, but are unresponsive to tensile strains. The rich tunable properties by stain suggest potential applications of Ga2S2NRs in nanoelectronics and optoelectronics.