First-principles study on the electronic and magnetic properties of zigzag AlN-SiC nanoribbons

The electronic and magnetic properties of zigzag AlN-SiC nanoribbons are investigated by using the first-principles calculations. The band structures reveal that all the investigated AlN-SiC systems are the magnetic semiconductors, the band gaps of which decrease with the increasing width of the ribbon. The majority spin density is mostly contributed by the edge C atoms with dangling bonds. The total magnetic moments increase with the increasing width of the ribbon and decrease with the increase of the strain. These studies are helpful to the potential applications of the AlN-SiC ribbon in spintronics.