Tunable magnetic interaction by an applied electric field in a Co-adsorbed SiC monolayer

The magnetic properties of Co-adsorbed SiC monolayer under an external electric field are investigated using first-principles method. In the absence of the electric field, the interaction between two Co atoms is ferromagnetic, which is originated by the p − d hybridization between Co and its neighboring C and Si atoms. When an electric field was introduced along the c axis, the interaction between two Co dopants switched from ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic, which could be dominated by the competition between p − d exchange and superexchange. Moreover, the magnetic anisotropy prefers to parallel to the a axis and it seems not to be turn into the c axis under the electric field.