First-principles study of magnetic properties in V-doped GaN

Using the first-principles method based on the density functional theory, we study electronic and magnetic properties of GaN doped with 6.25% of V. The V dopants are found spin polarized and order ferromagnetically in GaN, with a magnetic moment of 2 μB per supercell. The V-doped GaN favors ferromagnetic ground state which can be explained in terms of double-exchange mechanism, and a Curie temperature above room temperature can be expected. Also, incorporation of V is easy. These results suggest that the V-doped GaN may present a promising dilute magnetic semiconductor and find applications in the field of spintronics.