Fluorine Functionalized BNNT as a Spin Filter

Spin filtering is a phenomenon that allows one to generate spin-polarized carriers in a circuit comprised of a magnetic channel sandwiched between two non-magnetic electrodes. In recent years, the quest for a novel low-dimensional metal-free magnetic channel that would exhibit both magnetism at a higher temperature and excellent spin filtering property has been intensively pursued. Herein, using a first-principles approach, we study the magnetic property of fluorine functionalized boron nitride nanotube (F-BNNT). A long range ferromagnetic spin ordering is found to occur in the F-BNNT at temperature much above the room temperature. Our spin polarized transport study shows that the fluorine functionalization in BNNT not only enhances its conductance by more than two orders, which is in excellent agreement with the experimental report, but also makes it a perfect spin filter.