Magnetic properties of gadolinium and carbon co-doped gallium nitride

Investigations have been carried out to study the ferromagnetic properties of Gadolinium (Gd) Carbon (C) co-doped wurtzite Gallium Nitride (GaN) using full-potential linear augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method within the density functional theory. The system shows half-metallic nature when single Gd is substituted in Ga36N36 supercell. The presence of carbon in GaN supercell is found to generate weak magnetic moment (Ms) in the neighbouring atoms. When Carbon is codoped in the Gd-GaN, it increased the total magnetic moment of the system (Mtot). The cause of ferromagnetism in the Gd and C co-doped GaN has been explained by Zener's p-d exchange mechanism. The role of defects in the magnetic property of this system is also investigated. The results indicate the gallium vacancy influences the magnetic moment of the Gd and C codoped GaN more than the nitrogen vacancy. The presence of holes is effective than electrons in achieving the ferromagnetism in the considered system.