Structural and electronic properties of arsenic nitrogen monolayer

We present our first-principles calculations of a new two-dimensional material, arsenic nitrogen monolayer. The structural, electronic, and mechanical properties are investigated in detail by means of density functional theory computations. The calculated binding energy and the phonon spectra demonstrate that the AsN can form stable monolayer in puckered honeycomb structure. It is a semiconductor with indirect band gap of 0.73 eV, and displays highly anisotropic mechanical properties. Strain has obvious influence on the electronic properties of AsN monolayer. It is found that in the armchair direction, a moderate compression strain (−12%) can trigger an indirect to direct band gap transition and a tensile strain of 18% can make the AsN becoming a stable metal. In the zigzag direction, a rather smaller strain than armchair direction (12% for compression and 8% for stretch) can induce the indirect band gap to metal transition.