Structural and magnetic properties of N doped ZnO thin films

Experimental investigations and first-principle calculations based on density functional theory are effectively combined to shed light on origin of room temperature ferromagnetism in nitrogen doped ZnO (ZnO:N) based intrinsic dilute magnetic semiconductors. ZnO:N thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition show a well defined M-H hysteresis loop at room temperature, reflecting ferromagnetic behavior in contrast to undoped ZnO thin films grown under the same processing condition. Isotropic behavior of magnetism in ZnO:N reveals the dominant contribution of N incorporation on the magnetism and is attributed to p-p interaction between nitrogen and neighboring oxygen atoms having potential for room temperature spintronic applications. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4714686]