First-principles study of spin-polarized electronic band structures in ferromagnetic Zn1-xTMxS (TM = Fe, Co and Ni)

Abstract

We report a first-principles study of structural, electronic and magnetic properties of crystalline alloys Zn1-xTMxS (TM = Fe, Co and Ni) at x = 0.25. Structural properties are computed from the total ground state energy convergence and it is found that the cohesive energies of Zn 1-xTMxS are greater than that of zincblende ZnS. We also study the spin-polarized electronic band structures, total and partial density of states and the effect of TM 3d states. Our results exhibit that Zn 0.75Fe0.25S, Zn0.75Co0.25S and Zn0.75Ni0.25S are half-metallic ferromagnetic with a magnetic moment of 4μB, 3μB and 2μB, respectively. Furthermore, we calculate the TM 3d spin-exchange-splitting energies Δx (d), Δx (x-d), exchange constants N0α and N0β, crystal field splitting (ΔEcrystEt2g-Eeg), and find that p-d hybridization reduces the local magnetic moment of TM from its free space charge value. Moreover, robustness of Zn1-xTMxS with respect to the variation of lattice constants is also discussed. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.