Spin properties of chiral BN nanotubes (7, N<SUB>2</SUB>)

Using the nonempirical relativistic augmented cylindrical wave method, the dependences of the electronic structure of single-layer (n1, n2) BN nanotubes with n1 = 7 and 6 ≥ n2 ≥ 1 on chirality and spin are calculated. All nanotubes are wide-bandgap semiconductors with optical gaps equal to 3.6–4.6 eV and spin-orbit splittings of the top of the valence band and the minimum of the conduction band of 0.15–0.004 meV. The energies of spin splittings in right- and left-handed nanotubes coincide, and the spin directions are opposite. The (7, 1) nanotube is most suitable for selective spin transport of electrons, which can find application in spintronics elements.