Discovery of multiferroics with tunable magnetism in two-dimensional lead oxide
Meng-Han Zhang, Xinlian Chen, Wei-xiao Ji, Pei‐ji Wang, Min-Yuan, Changwen Zhang
Abstract
Two-dimensional multiferroic materials with controllable ferromagnetism and ferroelasticity are an interesting topic and offer unprecedent opportunities for achieving long-sought controllable spintronic devices. However, the reported proposals on hypothetical materials are rarely realized experimentally so far. We perform first-principles calculations to find that the non-dispersive nature of the valence band maximum with a Mexican-hat-like band in monolayer α-PbO can be as a prototype to realize either ferromagnetism or ferroelasticity under p-type doping. Remarkably, a multiferroic phase coexisting with ferromagnetism and ferroelasticity can be obtained for hole densities in the range of 1.22–3.48 × 1014 cm−2. Also, the Curie temperature, structural stability, and exfoliation energy of α-PbO are discussed. These interesting mechanical, electronic, and magnetic properties in α-PbO provide an ideal platform to research physics and high-performance multi-functional devices.