Interplay of Vacancy Defects and Magnetism in Carbon Structures

ORAL

Abstract

Magnetic properties of diamond and graphite with vacancy defects have been studied using spin-polarized plane-wave basis density functional theory. Various scenarios of vacancy defects are investigated in these two allotropic configurations. The calculation shows that the vacancy defect concentration and nearby bonding structure is critical to determine the induced magnetism. The total magnetism start to decrease after vacancy accumulation reach the interacting configuration, in both diamond and graphite. We also shows that foreign species like nitrogen close to the vacancy is able to further enhance the magnetic moment in graphite.

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Authors

  • Yiming Zhang

  • S. Talapatra

    Rensselaer Nanotechnology Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy New York, Rensselaer Nanotechnology Center and Department of MS\&E, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY.

  • Swastik Kar

    Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy New York, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York

  • R. Vajtai

    Rensselaer Nanotechnology Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy New York

  • Saroj Nayak

    Department of Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy New York, Department of Physics, Applied Physics and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York

  • Pulickel M. Ajayan

    Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy New York, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York