Functionalized Graphene for High Performance Two-dimensional Spintronics Devices

TL;DR

This study uses first-principles calculations to demonstrate that functionalized graphene can serve as a high-performance two-dimensional spintronics device with significant magnetoresistance and spin-filter efficiency.

Contribution

It introduces novel functionalization strategies for graphene to achieve ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic states suitable for spintronics applications.

Findings

Graphene functionalized with O and H exhibits 85% spin-filter efficiency.

Semi-functionalized graphene with F shows 5400% room-temperature magnetoresistance.

Magnetoresistive device constructed from semi-functionalized graphene outperforms experimental values.

Abstract

Using first-principles calculations, we explore the possibility of functionalized graphene as high performance two-dimensional spintronics device. Graphene functionalized with O on one side and H on the other side in the chair conformation is found to be a ferromagnetic metal with a spin-filter efficiency up to 85% at finite bias. The ground state of graphene semi-functionalized with F in the chair conformation is an antiferromagnetic semiconductor, and we construct a magnetoresistive device from it by introducing a magnetic field to stabilize its ferromagnetic metallic state. The resulting room-temperature magnetoresistance is up to 5400%, which is one order of magnitude larger than the available experimental values.