• 文献标题:   Switchable Polarization in Mn Embedded Graphene
  • 文献类型:   Article
  • 作  者:   NOORAALAM M, ULLAH H, SHIN YH
  • 作者关键词:  
  • 出版物名称:   SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
  • ISSN:   2045-2322
  • 通讯作者地址:   Univ Ulsan
  • 被引频次:   1
  • DOI:   10.1038/s41598-018-22583-4
  • 出版年:   2018

▎ 摘  要

Graphene, despite its many unique properties, is neither intrinsically polar due to inversion symmetry nor magnetic. However, based on density functional theory, we find that Mn, one of transition metals, embedded in single or double vacancy (Mn@SV and Mn@DV) in a graphene monolayer induces a dipole moment perpendicular to the sheet, which can be switched from up to down by Mn penetration through the graphene. Such switching could be realized by an external stimuli introduced through the tip of a scanning probe microscope, as already utilized in the studies of molecular switches. We estimate the energy barriers for dipole switching, which are found to be 2.60 eV and 0.28 eV for Mn@SV and Mn@DV, respectively. However, by applying biaxial tensile strain, we propose a mechanism for tuning the barrier. We find that 10% biaxial tensile strain, which is already experimentally achievable in graphenelike two-dimensional materials, can significantly reduce the barrier to 0.16 eV in Mn@SV. Moreover, in agreement with previous studies, we find a high magnetic moment of 3 mu B for both Mn@SV and Mn@DV, promising the potential of these structures in spintronics as well as in nanoscale electro-mechanical or memory devices.