Disorder-based graphene spintronics

Abstract

The use of the spin of the electron as the ultimate logic bit - in what has been dubbed spintronics - can lead to a novel way of thinking about information flow. At the same time single layer graphene has been the subject of intense research due to both its fundamental properties as well as its potential application in nanoscale electronics. While defects can significantly alter the electronic properties of nanoscopic systems, the lack of control can lead to seemingly deleterious effects arising from the random arrangement of such impurities. Here we demonstrate, using {\it ab initio} density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green's functions calculations, that it is possible to obtain perfect spin selectivity in doped graphene nanoribbons to produce a perfect spin filter. We show that initially unpolarized electrons entering the system give rise to 100% polarization of the current due to random disorder. This effect is explained in terms of different localization lengths for each spin channel which together with the well know exponential dependence of the conductance on the length of the device leads to a new mechanism for the spin filtering effect that is enhanced by disorder.

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Cited by in corpus (11)

• Spin negative differential resistance in edge doped zigzag graphene nanoribbons
• Substitutional 4d and 5d Impurities in Graphene
• The RKKY Coupling between Impurity Spins in Graphene Nanoflakes
• Graphene Enabled Low-Control Quantum Gates between Static and Mobile Spins
• Adatoms in graphene as a source of current polarization: Role of the local magnetic moment
• Structural and electronic properties of realistic two-dimensional amorphous topological insulators
• Boron and nitrogen impurities in SiC nanoribbons: an ab initio investigation
• Dual Topological Insulator Device with Disorder Robustness
• Spin-filtering and Disorder Induced Giant Magnetoresistance in Carbon Nanotubes: Ab Initio Calculations
• Spin-active devices based on graphene / WSe${}_2$ heterostructure
• Exploring Topological Transport in Pt${}_2$HgSe${}_3$ Nanoribbons: Insights for Spintronic Device Integration