Half-metallic ferromagnetism in C-doped zinc-blende ZnO: A first-principles study

Abstract

We perform a first-principles study of electronic structure and magnetism of C-doped zinc-blende ZnO using the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method. Results show that C-doped zinc-blende ZnO exhibits half-metallic ferromagnetism with a stable ferromagnetic ground state. The calculated magnetic moment of the 32-atom supercell containing one C dopant is 2.00 μB, and the C dopant contributes most. The calculated low formation energy suggests that C-doped zinc-blende ZnO is energetically stable. The hole-mediated double exchange mechanism can be used to explain the ferromagnetism in C-doped zinc-blende ZnO.