Revisiting the Structural, Electronic, and Magnetic Properties of (LaO)MnAs: Effect of Hubbard Correction and Origin of Mott-Insulating Behavior.

We study the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of the antiferromagnetic-layered oxyarsenide (LaO)MnAs system from the first-principle calculation. The increasing Hubbard energy (U) in the Mn 3d orbital induces the increasing local-symmetry distortions (LSDs) in MnAs4 and OLa4 tetrahedra. The LSD in MnAs4 tetrahedra is possibly promoted by the second-order Jahn-Teller effect in the Mn 3d orbital. Furthermore, the increasing U also escalates the bandgap (Eg) and the magnetic moment of Mn (μMn). The value of U = 1 eV is the most appropriate by considering the structural properties. This value leads to Eg and μMn of 0.834 eV and 4.31 μB, respectively. The calculated μMn is lower than the theoretical value for the high-spin state of Mn 3d (5 μB) due to the hybridization between Mn 3d and As 4p states. However, d xy states are localized and show the weakest hybridization with valence As 4p states. The Mott-insulating behavior in the system is characterized by the Eg transition between the valence and conduction d zx /d zy states. This work shows new physical insights for advanced functional device applications, such as spintronics.