Effect of electric field on the electronic and magnetic properties of a graphene nanoribbon/aluminium nitride bilayer system

Abstract

The effect of an external electric field on the electronic and magnetic properties of the heterostructure of zigzag graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs) placed on an aluminium nitride nanosheet (AlNNS) is studied using density functional theory (DFT). DFT calculations show that the local magnetic moments and total magnetization of the edge carbon atoms in the 4-ZGNR/AlNNS with a spin up electron subsystem are strongly dependent on a transverse electric field. We can control the band gap of the 4-ZGNR/AlNNS by using an external electric field. We established the critical values of the transverse electric field providing for semiconductor–metal phase transition in spin down electron configuration, which opens up potential opportunities for applications in spintronics devices. The effect of an external electric field (both amplitude and direction) on the effective charge and formation of the interface state energy is also studied and discussed.