  CrN is observed to undergo a paramagnetic to antiferromagnetic transition
accompanied by a shear distortion from cubic NaCl-type to orthorhombic
structure. Our first-principle plane wave and ultrasoft pseudopotential
calculations confirm that the distorted antiferromagnetic phase with spin
configuration arranged in double ferromagnetic sheets along [110] is the most
stable. Antiferromagnetic ordering leads to a large depletion of states around
Fermi level, but it does not open a gap. Simultaneous occurence of structural
distortion and antiferromagnetic order is analyzed.
