Gapless Semiconductor Research Articles

Novel two-dimensional HfSi2N4 monolayer with excellent bandgap modulation and electronic properties modulation.

The bandgap modulation and electronic properties modulation of two-dimensional HfSi2N4 monolayer induced by strain, electric field and atomic adsorption are studied by first principles. The HfSi2N4 monolayer was found to be dynamically, thermally, and mechanically stable at equilibrium, and it is a direct semiconductor with a bandgap of 1.87eV. The bandgap of the HfSi2N4 monolayer can be precisely modulated by strain. Under the action of strain, HfSi2N4 monolayer not only transforms from direct semiconductor to indirect semiconductor, but also improves the absorption of visible light. An external electric field in the 0-0.5eV/Å range can also modulate the bandgap of HfSi2N4 monolayer from 1.87eV to 0eV, and most importantly, at an external electric field of 0.5eV/Å, HfSi2N4 monolayer shows the characteristics of spin gapless semiconductor. The calculated adsorption energy shows that the structures of H, O and F atoms adsorbed by HfSi2N4 monolayer can all exist stably. The bandgap of the configuration after adsorption of O and F atoms is significantly reduced compared with that of HfSi2N4 monolayer. Furthermore, the HfSi2N4 monolayer after adsorption of H and F atoms is transformed into a magnetic semiconductor. METHOD: All calculations were performed using Vienna ab initial simulation package, The electronic structure, mechanical properties, electronic properties and other properties were carried out using generalized gradient approximation (GGA-PBE), supplemented by HSE06 and GGA + U. The total-energy and force convergence are less than 10-6eV and 0.001eV/Å, respectively. The vacuum on the z-axis is selected20Å. The vdW interactions were corrected using the Grimme scheme (DFT-D3).

Excitonic effects in the optical absorption of gapless semiconductor α-tin near the direct bandgap

Most cubic semiconductors have threefold degenerate p-bonding valence bands and nondegenerate s-antibonding conduction bands. This allows strong interband transitions from the valence to the conduction bands. On the other hand, intervalence band transitions within p-bonding orbitals in conventional p-type semiconductors are forbidden at k=0 and, therefore, weak, but observable. In gapless semiconductors, however, the s-antibonding band moves down between the split-off hole band and the valence band maximum due to the Darwin shift. This band arrangement makes them three-dimensional topological insulators. It also allows strong interband transitions from the s-antibonding valence band to the p-bonding bands, which have been observed in α-tin with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry [Carrasco et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 113, 232104 (2018)]. This manuscript presents a theoretical description of such transitions applicable to many gapless semiconductors. This model is based on k→⋅p→ theory, degenerate carrier statistics, the excitonic Sommerfeld enhancement, and screening of the transitions by many-body effects. The impact of nonparabolic bands is approximated within Kane’s 8×8k→⋅p→-model by adjustments of the effective masses. This achieves agreement with experiments.

Effects of Mn doping on electronic and quantum transport in PbPdO2 thin films.

PbPdO2, a gapless semiconductor, can be transformed into a spin gapless semiconductor structure by magnetic ion doping. This unique band-gap structure serves as the foundation for its distinctive physical properties. In this study, PbPd1-xMnxO2 (x = 0.05, 0.1, 0.15) thin films with (002) preferred orientation were prepared by laser pulse deposition (PLD). The structural, electroresistive and magnetoresistive properties were systematically characterized, and the results suggest that films with different Mn doping ratios exhibit a current-induced positive colossal electroresistance (CER), and the CER values of PbPd1-xMnxO2 thin films increase with the increase of Mn doping concentration. The CER values are several fold magnitudes higher compared to those of the previously reported PbPdO2 films possessing identical (002) orientation. Combined with first-principles calculation, the underlying influence mechanism of Mn doping on CER is elucidated. In situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) demonstrates a close correlation between the positive CER and the band gap change induced by oxygen vacancies in PbPd1-xMnxO2. Additionally, it is observed that Mn-doped films exhibit weak localization (WL) and weak anti-localization (WAL) quantum transport. Moreover, it is found that Mn doping can lead to a transition from WAL to WL; a small amount of Mn doping significantly enhances the weak anti-localization effect. However, with increasing Mn concentration, the WAL effect is conversely weakened. The results of studies suggest strongly that PbPdO2, one of the few oxide topological insulators, can display novel quantum transport behavior by ion doping.

Defect effects on the electronic, valley, and magnetic properties of the two-dimensional ferrovalley material VSi2N4.

Due to their novel spin and valley properties, two-dimensional (2D) ferrovalley materials are expected to be promising candidates for next-generation spintronic and valleytronic devices. However, they are subject to various defects in practical applications. Therefore, the electronic, valley, and magnetic properties may be modified in the presence of the defects. In this work, utilizing first-principles calculations, we systematically studied the effects of defects on the electronic, valley, and magnetic properties of the 2D ferrovalley material VSi2N4. It has been found that C doping, O doping, and N vacancies result in the half-metallic feature, Si vacancies result in the metallic feature, and V vacancies result in a bipolar gapless semiconductor. These defect-induced electronic properties can be effectively tuned by changing defect concentration and layer thickness. Since the impurity bands do not affect the K and K' valleys, valley polarization is well maintained in O-doped and N-defective systems. Importantly, these defects play a crucial role in modifying the magnetic properties of the pristine VSi2N4, especially the magnitude of local magnetic moments and the magnetic anisotropy energy. Detailed analysis of the density of states demonstrates that the variations of the total magnetic moment and magnetic anisotropy energy with biaxial strain are determined by the electronic states near the Fermi level rather than the type of defect, which provides a new understanding of the effects of defects on the magnetic properties of 2D materials. Moreover, the layer thickness can affect the magnetic coupling between defects and surrounding V atoms. Our results offer insight into the electronic, valley, and magnetic properties of VSi2N4 in the presence of various point defects.

Pressure induced modification of electronic and magnetic properties of MnCrNbAl and MnCrTaAl

Spin-gapless semiconductor (SGS) is a new class of material that has been studied recently for potential applications in spintronics. This material behaves as an insulator for one spin channel, and as a gapless semiconductor for the opposite spin. In this work, we present results of a computational study of two quaternary Heusler alloys, MnCrNbAl and MnCrTaAl that have been recently reported to exhibit spin-gapless semiconducting electronic structure. In particular, using density functional calculations we analyze the effect of external pressure on electronic and magnetic properties of these compounds. It is shown that while these two alloys exhibit nearly SGS behavior at optimal lattice constants and at negative pressure (expansion), they are half-metals at equilibrium, and magnetic semiconductors at larger lattice constant. At the same time, reduction of the unit cell volume has a detrimental effect on electronic properties of these materials, by modifying the exchange splitting of their electronic structure and ultimately destroying their half-metallic/semiconducting behavior. Thus, our results indicate that both MnCrNbAl and MnCrTaAl may be attractive for practical device applications in spin-based electronics, but a potential compression of the unit cell volume (e.g. in thin-film applications) should be avoided.

An Ab-initio study on spin gapless semiconducting in novel quaternary heusler alloys RhCoVZ (Z = Al, Ga, and In): Insights into stability, electronic, magnetic, thermoelectric, and optical properties

The stability and half-metallic ferromagnetic properties of recently developed gapless semiconductor alloys, RhCoVZ (Z = Al, Ga, and In), were the subject of investigation in this research study. Three different non-equivalent structural configurations, namely type I, type II, and type III structures, have been examined. Among these compounds, Type I is characterized as the most stable phase in the ferromagnetic order, as opposed to the non-magnetic order. Through calculations of cohesive energies, formation energies, phonon dispersion curves, and elastic constants, we have demonstrated that RhCoVZ (Z = Al, Ga, and In) exhibits thermodynamic stability, as well as dynamic and mechanical. Using modified Becke-Johnson (mBJ) calculations, it has been revealed that RhCoVZ (Z = Al, Ga, and In) are spin gapless semiconductor half-metallic ferromagnets with an indirect bandgap. Additionally, it was observed that the electrons at the Fermi level (EF) are entirely spin-polarized. The total magnetic moment in all three compounds was determined to be an integer value of 2.00 µB per formula, in accordance with the Slater-Pauling rule (Mt = Zt - 24). All the calculations in this study were performed using density functional theory (DFT) based on the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method, which was implemented in the WIEN2k code. The effective mass of electrons/holes is (0.167/0.385) for RhCoVAl, (0.454/0.322) for RhCoVGa, and (0.604/0.242) for RhCoVIn. The thermoelectric properties of the three compounds were explored using the semi-classical Boltzmann transport theory. It was discovered that all three compounds exhibit high power factors and high Seebeck coefficients, with values reaching up to 1.5 mV/K for RhCoVAl and 1.25 mV/K for RhCoVGa. Based on the results, the highest observed ZT values for RhCoVZ (Z = Al, Ga, and In) are 0.95, 0.97, and 0.93, respectively. The study's findings indicate that these compounds possess stable characteristics, making them promising candidates for various device applications in fields like spintronics, thermoelectricity, shape memory, and spin filters. Furthermore, the investigation of their optical properties, including the dielectric function and absorption coefficient, suggests potential implications for optoelectronic applications. Overall, these materials exhibit diverse and valuable properties, opening up exciting opportunities for future technological advancements in multiple domains.

Electronic structure and magnetic properties of CrI3 monolayer doped by rare earth metal atoms

CrI3 monolayer is a two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnetic (FM) semiconductor materials with broad application prospects in the field of spintronics due to its magnetic semiconductor feature and unique 2D structure. In this work, we employ first-principles calculations based on density functional theory to investigate the electronic structure and magnetic properties of CrI3 monolayer doped with rare earth (RE) metal atoms (RE = Sc, Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Eu, Gd, Tm, and Lu). The results demonstrate that doping with RE atoms enables the control of total magnetic moments and a significantly enhancement of the Curie temperature of CrI3 monolayer. Especially, the Curie temperature of CrGdI6 monolayer reaches 347.58 K, which could be a promising candidate for realizing room temperature ferromagnetism. Furthermore, by applying strain and electric field, the CrREI6 monolayers exhibit metal, half-metal and spin gapless semiconductor properties. These findings not only provide valuable insights into the manipulation of electronic structure and magnetic properties in CrI3 monolayer but also establish RE doped CrI3 monolayer as a promising material for spintronic devices.

Proposal for valleytronic materials: Ferrovalley metal and valley gapless semiconductor

Proposal for valleytronic materials: Ferrovalley metal and valley gapless semiconductor

First-principles prediction of intrinsic piezoelectricity, spin-valley splitting and magneto-crystal anisotropy in 2H-VS2 magnetic semiconductor

The piezoelectricity, valley character and magnetic properties of intrinsic ferrovalley 2H-VS2 monolayer are studied using density functional theory. The results suggest that 2H-VS2 monolayer exhibits obvious bipolar magnetic semiconductor characters with Curie temperature (TC) of 278 K, large piezoelectric coefficient d11 of 3.925 pm/V, in-plane magneto-crystal anisotropy (MA) and large valley splitting (ΔKK′) of 75.1 meV. Applying in-plane strain (-6% to 6 %) can well adjust the ΔKK′ and TC from 72 meV to 76.7 meV and from 98 K to 397 K, respectively, resulting an obvious change of electronic structures from bipolar magnetic semiconductor to spin gapless semiconductor phase. The magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) of 2H-VS2 monolayer firstly increases and then decreases as the strain increases from −6% to 6 %, which mainly originates from the contribution of V dx2-y2 and dxy orbitals. In addition, 2H-VS2 monolayer retains a large valley-contrasting Berry curvature and non-zero anomalous Hall conductivity, indicating that the transverse velocity of carriers is opposite to the effect of in-plane longitudinal electric field. These results suggest that the 2H-VS2 monolayer can become good candidates for the spintronic and valleytronic applications.

Gate voltage-controlled spin-rectifier diode based on Janus transition metal nitride MXene with spin gapless semiconductor

With the continuous application of spintronics technology, spintronic devices have been expected to become a major direction in the development of next-generation electronic devices. However, for spin rectifier diodes, how to provide a large number of spin-polarized carriers is still a key technical issue. Conventional spin-polarization injection models use ferromagnetic (FM)/semiconductor structures, but because of the conductivity mismatch can limit the injection of their polarization. This makes the search for spin-gapless semiconductor which has the conductivity between metals and semiconductors an effective way to solve this problem. Recently, MXene, a new two-dimensional material with high spin polarization, has been expected to undergo modulation of the electronic structure through external field or proximity effects. Subsequently, we propose a Janus transition metal structure of the MXene which modulates the spin properties by breaking the symmetry of the transition metals. Moreover, we find the band structure of TiCrNO2 can be effectively modulated by an applied electric field, which transforms itself from a magnetic semiconductor to a spin-gapless semiconductor under an electric field strength of 1 V/Å. With this as a basis, we construct a tunable spin rectifier diode and study its spin rectification effect by the first-principle calculations combined with non-equilibrium Green's function. The results show that the rectification ratio of the spin rectification diode can be adjustable by varying the strength of the external electric field, and its rectification rate exceeds the highest value currently available for two-dimensional rectifier devices. Our results provide a reference value for the application of nitride MXene in spintronic devices.

Theoretical exploration of promising optoelectronic two-dimensional materials MSi2N4 (M=Cr, Mo, W)

The electronic properties of two-dimensional MSi2N4 (M = Cr, Mo, W) monolayer have been systematically investigated by strain, electric field, bilayer heterostructures, and adsorption of environmental gas molecules. The results indicate that MSi2N4 have excellent thermodynamic, chemical stability and they are semiconductor materials with perfect absorption performance in the visible and ultraviolet regions. As the tensile strain increases, the band gap of MSi2N4 gradually decreases, and these two-dimensional monolayer materials undergo a phase transition from semiconductor to spin gapless semiconductor to half-metal to metal. The bilayer heterostructures and the external electric field can effectively regulate the band gap of the MSi2N4 monolayer. Some environmental gas molecules can be effectively adsorbed, and the vast majority of adsorption models do not affect the band gap of the MSi2N4. The diverse physical properties and adjustable bandgap characteristics exhibited by MSi2N4 mean that they are promising candidate for optoelectronic functional materials.

First-principles characterization of structural, elastic, electronic phase transitions and magnetic properties of FeCrScZ (Z = Si, Ge) Heusler compounds under pressure

Inspired by the use of spin filter materials (SFM) as barriers in spintronics, we have studied the structural, elastic, electronic phase transitions and magnetic properties of FeCrScSi (FCSS) and FeCrScGe (FCSG) Heuslers under pressure (P) using the pseudo-potential plane wave (PP-PW) method. The obtained ground-state structural properties are in good agreement with existing theoretical counterparts. The calculated elastic properties show that the considered materials are mechanically stable and ductile. Disregarding pressure effects, electronic structure analysis reveals ferrimagnetic semiconducting properties for FCSS and FCSG materials. Under pressure, an electronic phase transition from spin filter material (SFM) to spin gapless semiconductor type II (SGS-II) is predicted at pressure values of 46.37 GPa and 32.48 GPa for FCSS and FCSG compounds, respectively. Above these critical pressures, the examined compounds exhibit a half metallic (HM) nature. Finally, the calculated total magnetic moment of FCSS/FCSG compound was found to be independent of the applied pressure.

Vanishing of the anomalous Hall effect and enhanced carrier mobility in the spin-gapless ferromagnetic Mn2CoGa1−xAlx alloys

Spin gapless semiconductor (SGS) has attracted much attention since its theoretical prediction, while concrete experimental hints are still lacking in the relevant Heusler alloys. Here in this work, by preparing the series alloys of Mn2CoGa1−xAlx (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1), we identified the vanishing of the anomalous Hall effect in the ferromagnetic Mn2CoGa (or x = 0.25) alloy in a wide temperature interval, accompanying with growing contribution from the ordinary Hall effect. As a result, comparatively low carrier density (1020 cm−3) and high carrier mobility (150 cm2/V s) are obtained in the Mn2CoGa (or x = 0.25) alloy in the temperature range of 10–200 K. These also lead to a large dip in the related magnetoresistance at low fields. However, in a high Al content, although the magnetization behavior is not altered significantly, the Hall resistivity is, instead, dominated by the anomalous one, just analogous to that widely reported in Mn2CoAl. The distinct electrical-transport behavior of x = 0 and x = 0.75 (or 1) is presently understood by their possible different scattering mechanism of the anomalous Hall effect due to the differences in the atomic order and conductivity. Our work can expand the existing understanding of the SGS properties and offer a better SGS candidate with higher carrier mobility that can facilitate the application in the spin-injected related devices.

Electronic, Magnetic, and Optical Tunability of SiP Monolayers via 3d Transition‐Metal Doping

Herein, the electronic, magnetic, and optical properties of direct‐band semiconducting SiP monolayers (MLs) doped with 3d transition‐metal (TM) atoms are investigated using first‐principles calculations. The results indicate that TM (TM = Sc, Ti, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn)‐doped SiP MLs are nonmagnetic, while TM (TM = V, Cr, Mn, Fe)‐doped ones exhibit prominent magnetic moments. Specifically, V‐, Cr‐, and Fe‐doped SiP MLs are magnetic semiconductors and Mn‐doped SiP ML is a spin gapless semiconductor, where the contributions of the TM atoms to magnetic moments are dominant and the contributions of the nearest Si and P atoms are either small or negligible. Furthermore, the TM (TM = V, Cr, Mn, Fe) doping can enhance the carrier mobility in certain directions and result in highly in‐plane anisotropic mobility behaviors. In addition, the TM (TM = V, Cr, Mn, Fe) doping can not only broaden the optical absorption range of SiP ML to the infrared region, but also enhance the optical absorption coefficients of SiP ML in the visible region. These results provide insights into the TM doping effect on the electronic, spintronic, and optical properties of SiP MLs and may be useful for related applications based on SiP MLs.

Magnetic States and Electronic Properties of Manganese-Based Intermetallic Compounds Mn2YAl and Mn3Z (Y = V, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni; Z = Al, Ge, Sn, Si, Pt).

We present a brief review of experimental and theoretical papers on studies of electron transport and magnetic properties in manganese-based compounds Mn2YZ and Mn3Z (Y = V, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, etc.; Z = Al, Ge, Sn, Si, Pt, etc.). It has been shown that in the electronic subsystem of Mn2YZ compounds, the states of a half-metallic ferromagnet and a spin gapless semiconductor can arise with the realization of various magnetic states, such as a ferromagnet, a compensated ferrimagnet, and a frustrated antiferromagnet. Binary compounds of Mn3Z have the properties of a half-metallic ferromagnet and a topological semimetal with a large anomalous Hall effect, spin Hall effect, spin Nernst effect, and thermal Hall effect. Their magnetic states are also very diverse: from a ferrimagnet and an antiferromagnet to a compensated ferrimagnet and a frustrated antiferromagnet, as well as an antiferromagnet with a kagome-type lattice. It has been demonstrated that the electronic and magnetic properties of such materials are very sensitive to external influences (temperature, magnetic field, external pressure), as well as the processing method (cast, rapidly quenched, nanostructured, etc.). Knowledge of the regularities in the behavior of the electronic and magnetic characteristics of Mn2YAl and Mn3Z compounds can be used for applications in micro- and nanoelectronics and spintronics.

Comprehensive investigation of electronic structure, phonon spectrum and thermoelectric performance of LuMSb (M = Ni, Pd, Pt) half Heusler compounds from first principles.

We studied the structural, electronic, phonon spectrum and thermoelectric properties of ternary LuMSb (M = Ni, Pd, Pt) half Heusler compounds by using first principles method. The electronic properties are calculated via energy band structure and density of states by using GGA + U approximation. The calculations reveal that the replacement of Ni with Pd and Pt, energy gap decreases and LuNiSb, LuPdSb are found to have narrow indirect band gaps and exhibit semiconducting nature, while LuPtSb is found to be a gapless semiconductor. Phonon band structure calculations give only positive values of phonon frequency indicating the dynamically stability of these compounds. The thermoelectric properties have been computed using semi-classical Boltzmann transport theory. We found high Seebeck coefficient (S) and high power factor (PF) for LuNiSb and LuPdSb compounds in the whole temperature range. The ZT values of LuNiSb and LuPdSb are high in general and reach a maximum of 0.67 and 0.69 at 450 K, respectively, whereas 0.39 is the maximum ZT value for LuPtSb at the same temperature. These findings propose LuNiSb and LuPdSb compounds as promising materials for thermoelectric applications at room temperature.

Magnetic properties of V[formula omitted]MnGa, V[formula omitted]MnAl, V[formula omitted]FeGa and V[formula omitted]FeAl

The investigated materials belong to Heusler compounds and are similar in composition to titanium-based analogs, like Ti2MnAl, which was suspected of exhibiting Spin Gapless Semiconductor (SGS) or Weyl semimetal state in some earlier papers. The vanadium-based materials are not well known in earlier reports. We show the results of our XRD analysis of the synthesized samples, their magnetic properties, and their resistivity measured vs. temperature as well as magnetic field. Heusler compounds can crystallize in simple or inverted structures, here we try to resolve which one is more probable in these materials and whether the SGS state can exist in them or not. From our measurements it is clear that in these samples both of those crystal structures coexist, and they do not show signs of long range magnetic ordering. The ground state obtained from our ab-initio calculations should be magnetic for both structural models, which means that the disorder induced by the coexistence of those two structures at the same time eliminates the long-range magnetic ordering.

Electronic phase transition, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and high Curie temperature in Janus FeClF

How to enhance the spin polarization, the Curie temperature and the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) is crucial for the applications of 2D magnets in spintronic devices. In this work, based on the experimental FeCl2 flakes and the predicted in-plane magnetic anisotropy (IMA) and lower Curie temperature of FeCl2 monolayer, we use first-principles and Monte Carlo simulation to explore the strain and carrier-doping effects on the electronic and magnetic properties of Janus FeClF monolayer. The structure is stable within −10% to 2% biaxial strain. Janus FeClF monolayer can experience transitions from a half-semiconductor to a spin gapless semiconductor (SGS) around the −6% compressive strain, and from the IMA to the PMA at the −7% compressive strain. The super-exchange Fe–F/Cl–Fe interaction induces the ferromagnetic coupling, and the Curie temperature can be considerably enhanced from 56 K to 281 K at the −10% compressive strain. The half-metallicity can be achieved whether under electron doping or hole doping. The Fe-d orbitals and the spin–orbit coupling interaction between occupied and unoccupied intraorbital states are responsible for the electronic phase transition and the magnetic anisotropy, respectively. Remarkably, the compressive −10% strain and the 0.02 e doping collectively increase the Curie temperature to near room temperature (286 K). The high spin polarization (exhibiting SGS and half-metal), the PMA and the near-room-temperature ferromagnetism induced by strain and doping make Janus FeClF a promising candidate for 2D spintronic applications, which will stimulate experimental and theoretical broad studies on this class of Janus monolayers FeXY (X,Y = F, Cl, Br, and X ≠ Y).

Atomic disorder, magnetic and electronic properties of equiatomic quaternary Heusler alloy FeRuCrSi: Experimental and theoretical investigations

The equiatomic quaternary Heusler alloy FeRuCrSi was synthesized and its atomic ordering, magnetic properties and electronic structure were investigated experimentally and theoretically. The FeRuCrSi formed a single Heusler phase and had a lattice constant of 5.811 Å at room temperature. An L21B-type disorder related to the random occupation of Fe and Ru at 4a and 4b sites was identified in the X-ray diffraction pattern. The Curie temperature of FeRuCrSi was 346 K and the saturation magnetization at 5 K was 1.84 μB/f.u., which is smaller than the integral value of 2.00 μB required for ideal spin gapless semiconductor character and is likely related to the L21B-type disorder. First-principles calculations revealed that ordered FeRuCrSi with YII-type structure had the lowest total energy at 0 K. However, the energy difference between it and the L21B structure was only 0.09 eV/f.u., thus the L21B disorder dominated in the experimental sample because of the enthalpy of mixing and the “freezing” of high-temperature disorder at room temperature. The YII-type FeRuCrSi was a SGS with a half-metallic gap in the minority density of states (DOS) and a zero-width gap in the majority DOS. However, the L21B-type disorder disturbed the SGS character by narrowing the two gaps. The total spin moment of ordered FeRuCrSi was 2.00 μB/f.u., mainly determined by the antiparallel coupled Cr and Fe/Ru spin moments. However, the total moment was slightly reduced in L21B-type FeRuCrSi. All this suggests that the possible L21B disorder should be carefully considered when designing and synthesizing half-metals/SGS in Heusler alloys for spintronic applications.

The multifield regulation on resistance of PbPd0.9Co0.1O2/PMN-PT(001) laminate film

Spin gapless semiconductor (SGS) presents abundant electric and magnetic properties and is highly sensitive to external factors, such as current, electric field, magnetic field, and stress. This paper reports on a PbPd0.9Co0.1O2/PMNPT(001) laminate thin film with the “SGS/ferroelectrics” structure, which exhibits significant current-induced resistance (I-ER) effect. More importantly, the colossal static electric-field-induced resistance (E-ER) effect in such a laminate film was observed for the first time. The introduction of lattice defects (Pb vacancies) induces a local electric field, electron spin ordering state, and ferroelectric polarization field effect to explain the excellent physical properties. The reported laminate thin film composite exhibits promising application potential in spintronic devices, composite sensor units, storage systems, and other low-energy semiconductor electronic device fields. This work proposes an alternative way to investigate the novel properties for spin gapless semiconductors and expand the research fields of multi-field modulation effect in magnetoelectric composites.