Two-Dimensional Room-Temperature Ferromagnetic Semiconductors with Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect

Materials exhibiting the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE), and thus dissipationless chiral edge states, would be terrific for ultralow-power spintronic devices. Realizing a room-temperature ferromagnetic semiconductor and room-temperature QAHE have both been ongoing grand challenges. This density-functional study reveals that bulk PdBr₃ and monolayer PtBr₃ are promising candidates to address both challenges at once. The results offer guidance for developing a material platform for ultraefficient topological spintronic devices.