A First-Principle Study of Monolayer Transition Metal Carbon Trichalcogenides

Monolayer MnCX 3 metal–carbon trichalcogenides have been investigated by using the first-principle calculations. The compounds show half-metallic ferromagnetic characters. Our results reveal that their electronic and magnetic properties can be altered by applying uniaxial or biaxial strain. By tuning the strength of the external strain, the electronic bandgap and magnetic ordering of the compounds change and result in a phase transition from the half-metallic to the semiconducting phase. Furthermore, the vibrational and thermodynamic stability of the two-dimensional structure has been verified by calculating the phonon dispersion and molecular dynamics. Our study paves guidance for the potential applications of these two mono-layers in the future for spintronics and straintronics devices.