Evidence for spin-flip scattering and local moments in dilute fluorinated graphene

TL;DR

This study provides evidence that dilute fluorination in graphene induces local magnetic moments, as shown by phase coherence length measurements indicating spin-flip scattering, which is significant for future spintronics research.

Contribution

It demonstrates the formation of local magnetic moments in fluorinated graphene through phase coherence length analysis, revealing spin-flip scattering effects.

Findings

Unusual saturation of phase coherence length below ~10 K

Spin-flip scattering increases with fluorine density

Evidence of adatom-induced local magnetic moments

Abstract

The issue of whether local magnetic moments can be formed by introducing adatoms into graphene is of intense research interest because it opens the window to fundamental studies of magnetism in graphene, as well as of its potential spintronics applications. To investigate this question we measure, by exploiting the well-established weak localization physics, the phase coherence length L_phi in dilute fluorinated graphene. L_phi reveals an unusual saturation below ~ 10 K, which cannot be explained by non-magnetic origins. The corresponding phase breaking rate increases with decreasing carrier density and increases with increasing fluorine density. These results provide strong evidence for spin-flip scattering and points to the existence of adatom-induced local magnetic moment in fluorinated graphene. Our results will stimulate further investigations of magnetism and spintronics applications in adatom-engineered graphene.