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p-Orbital Ferromagnetism Arising from Unconventional O- Ionic State in a New Semiconductor Sr2AlO4 with
Xu-Guang Zheng1,2, Chao-Nan Xu1, Tomoki Uchiyama1
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8579, Japan.
Abstract:
Oxygen in solids usually exists in an O2- ionic state. As a result, it loses its magnetic nature of a single atom, wherein two unpaired electrons exist in its outer 2p orbitals. Here, it is shown that an unconventional stable ionic state of O- is realized in a new semiconductor material Sr2AlO4, leading to an intrinsic p-orbital ferromagnetism stable until ≈900 K. Experimental and theoretical investigations have clarified that one-fourth of the oxygen atoms in Sr2AlO4 are insufficiently bonded in the crystal structure, resulting in a unique O--state and p-orbital ferromagnetism. To date, the O- state is reported to exist only in non-equilibrium conditions, and p-orbital magnetism is only suggested in impurity bands with small ferromagnetic moments. The present work provides a new route for creating ferromagnetism in semiconductors and exploring new p-orbital physics and chemistry. In addition, the material shows elastic-mechanoluminescence that may enable unprecedented mechano-photonic-spintronics.
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