Electronic and magnetism properties of two-dimensional stacked nickel hydroxides and nitrides

Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials receive a lot of attention because of their outstanding intrinsic properties and wide applications. In this work, the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of nickel hydroxides (Ni(OH)2) and nitrides XN (X = B, Al, and Ga) heterostructures are studied by first-principles calculations. The results show that the pristine monolayer Ni(OH)2 owns no macro magnetism with antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling between two nearest Ni atoms, the electronic structure can be modulated through the heterostructures. The Ni(OH)2-GaN and Ni(OH)2-AlN heterostructures retain the AFM coupling, while Ni(OH)2-BN heterostructure have a larger magnetic moment with ferromagnetic (FM) coupling. The complete electron-hole separation is found in the Ni(OH)2-GaN heterostructure. The tunable electronic and magnetic properties of the Ni(OH)2-XN heterostructures open a new door to design the spintronic devices in the 2D stacked nanostructures.