Graphene spintronics: the role of ferromagnetic electrodes

Abstract

We report a first principles study of spin-transport under finite bias through a graphene-ferromagnet (FM) interface, where FM=Co(111), Ni(111). The use of Co and Ni electrodes achieves spin efficiencies reaching 80% and 60%, respectively. This large spin filtering results from the materials specific interaction between graphene and the FM which destroys the linear dispersion relation of the graphene bands and leads to an opening of spin-dependent energy gaps of roughly 0.4-0.5 eV at the K points. The minority spin band gap resides higher in energy than the majority spin band gap located near the Fermi level, a feature that results in large minority spin dominated currents.

5 pages, 4 figures

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• Substitutional 4d and 5d Impurities in Graphene
• Strain engineering of magnetic states of vacancy-decorated hexagonal boron nitride
• Efficient spin injection into graphene through a tunnel barrier: overcoming the spin conductance mismatch
• Rashba-type Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and skyrmion states at 2D materials/Co interfaces
• Manifestation of the shape and edge effects in spin-resolved transport through graphene quantum dots
• Single 3$d$ transition metal atoms on multi-layer graphene systems: electronic configurations, bonding mechanisms and role of the substrate
• Origin of Contact Resistance at Ferromagnetic Metal-Graphene Interfaces
• Graphene-mediated exchange coupling between cobaltocene and magnetic substrates
• Effect of the attachment of ferromagnetic contacts on the conductivity and giant magnetoresistance of graphene nanoribbons
• Time-dependent magneto-transport in a driven graphene spin valve