MgN: a new promising material for spintronic applications

TL;DR

This study uses density functional theory to propose MgN as a promising magnetic material for spintronic applications, highlighting its potential stability, electronic properties, and compatibility with MgO for device integration.

Contribution

The paper introduces MgN as a novel magnetic material with robust electronic structure, suggesting its feasibility for spintronic devices and potential fabrication methods.

Findings

MgN is a magnetic material near half-metallicity.

MgN can be fabricated by tuning Mg and N during growth.

MgN's lattice constant is close to MgO, enabling potential integration.

Abstract

Density functional theory calculations demonstrate that rocksalt MgN is a magnetic material at the verge of half-metallicity, with an electronic structure robust against strong correlations and spin-orbit interaction. Furthermore the calculated heat of formation describes the compound as metastable and suggests that it can be fabricated by tuning the relative Mg and N abundance during growth. Intriguingly the equilibrium lattice constant is close to that of MgO, so that MgN is likely to form as an inclusion during the fabrication of N-doped MgO. We then speculate that the MgO/MgN system may represent a unique materials platform for magnetic tunnel junctions not incorporating any transition metals.