Spin-dependent ballistic transport properties and electronic structures of pristine and edge-doped zigzag silicene nanoribbons: large magnetoresistance

TL;DR

This study explores how edge doping and magnetic configurations in zigzag silicene nanoribbons influence their electronic transport, revealing large magnetoresistance effects and potential for magnetic switching applications.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the magnetic and electronic transport properties of edge-doped silicene nanoribbons using combined DFT and NEGF methods.

Findings

Edge doping induces large magnetoresistance in odd-width ZSiNRs.

Magnetic field switching can convert metallic ZSiNRs into insulating states.

Conductance varies significantly with magnetic configuration and ribbon width.

Abstract

The electronic structure and conductance of substitutionally edge-doped zigzag silicene nanoribbons (ZSiNRs) are investigated using the nonequilibrium Green's function method combined with the density functional theory. Two-probe systems of ZSiNRs in both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic states are considered. Doping effects of elements from groups III and V, in a parallel or antiparallel magnetic configuration of the two electrodes, are discussed. Switching on and off the external magnetic field, we may convert the metallic ferromagnetic ZSiNRs into insulating antiferromagnetic ZSiNRs. In the ferromagnetic state, even- or odd-width ZSiNRs exhibit a drastically different magnetoresistance. In an odd-width edge-doped ZSiNR a large magnetoresistance occurs compared to that in a pristine ZSiNR. The situation is reversed in even-width ZSiNRs. These phenomena result from the drastic change of the conductance in the antiparallel configuration.