Magnetism in nanopatterned graphite film

Using first-principles calculations, we show that nanopatterned graphite films (NPGFs) can exhibit magnetism in analogy to graphene-based nanostructures (GBNs). In particular, graphite films with patterned nanoscale triangular holes and channels with zigzag edges all have ferromagnetic ground states. The magnetic moments are localized at the edges with a behavior similar to that of GBNs. Our findings suggest that the NPGFs form a unique class of magnetic materials.