Two-dimensional antiferromagnetic semiconductor T'-MoTeI from first principles

TL;DR

This paper predicts that monolayer T'-MoTeI is an intrinsically stable antiferromagnetic semiconductor with a 1.35 eV bandgap, stable magnetic properties under strain, and a Neel temperature of 95 K, making it promising for spintronics.

Contribution

First-principles calculations reveal the stability and magnetic properties of T'-MoTeI, a novel 2D antiferromagnetic semiconductor with potential spintronics applications.

Findings

T'-MoTeI is dynamically stable due to Mo atom dimerization.

It has an indirect bandgap of 1.35 eV.

The antiferromagnetic ground state remains stable under strain.

Abstract

Two-dimensional intrinsic antiferromagnetic semiconductors are expected to stand out in the spintronic field. The present work finds the monolayer T'-MoTeI is intrinsically an antiferromagnetic semiconductor by using first-principles calculation. Firstly, the dimerized distortion of the Mo atoms causes T'-MoTeI to have dynamic stability, which is different from the small imaginary frequency in the phonon spectrum of T-MoTeI. Secondly, T'-MoTeI is an indirect-bandgap semiconductor with 1.35 eV. Finally, in the systematic study of strain effects, there are significant changes in the electronic structure as well as the bandgap, but the antiferromagnetic ground state is not affected. Monte Carlo simulations predict that the Neel temperature of T'-MoTeI is 95 K. The results suggest that the monolayer T'-MoTeI can be a potential candidate for spintronics applications.