Total energy electronic-structure calculations were performed which were based
upon density functional theory and clarified the intrinsic magnetism of undoped
GaN. The magnetism was due to Ga, instead of N, vacancies. The magnetism arose
from the unpaired 2p electrons of N surrounding Ga vacancy. At a vacancy
concentration of 5.6%, the ferromagnetic state was 181meV lower than the
antiferromagnetic state. These findings were helpful in gaining a better
understanding of the structural and spin properties of the Ga vacancy in wurtzite
GaN and also provided a possible way of generating magnetic GaN by introducing
Ga vacancies instead of doping with transition-metal atoms.
Intrinsic Magnetism Induced by Vacancy in GaN. Z.Xiong, L.Luo, J.Peng, G.Liu:
Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids, 2009, 70[8], 1223-5