Two-Dimensional Room Temperature Ferromagnetic Semiconductors with Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect

Abstract

To obtain room temperature ferromagnetic semiconductors is one of big challenges in science, and also premises essentially to realize room temperature quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE), both of which are quite expected for a long time. Here we report that, based on first-principles calculations, PdBr3, PtBr3, PdI3 and PtI3 monolayers are ferromagnetic semiconductors with possible high temperature QAHE. Monte Carlo simulations give Curie temperatures 350 K and 375 K for PdBr3 and PtBr3 monolayers, respectively. These two-dimensional (2D) materials are Chern insulators. The band gaps of PdBr3 and PtBr3 are 58.7 meV and 28.1 meV with GGA and 100.8 meV and 45 meV with HSE06, respectively, quite well in favor of observing room temperature QAHE. The large band gaps were unveiled from multi-orbital electron correlations. By carefully checking the stability, PdBr3, PtBr3, and PtI3 monolayers are all predicted to be feasible in experiment. The present work sheds new light on developing promising spintronic devices by using the room temperature ferromagnetic semiconductors, and dissipationless devices by applying room temperature QAHE.