Spin-dependent Seebeck effect and spin caloritronics in magnetic graphene

TL;DR

This paper explores the spin-dependent thermoelectric effects in magnetic graphene, demonstrating significant spin currents driven by temperature gradients and proposing magnetic graphene as a promising material for spin-caloritronics applications.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of spin-dependent Seebeck effects in magnetic graphene using Boltzmann and Landauer formalisms, highlighting conditions for pure spin current generation.

Findings

Magnetic graphene generates significant spin currents under temperature gradients.

Pure spin currents can be driven in undoped magnetic graphene with conduction and valence band separation.

Large thermoelectric figure of merit suggests potential for spin-caloritronics applications.

Abstract

We investigate the spin-dependent thermoelectric effects in magnetic graphene in both diffusive and ballistic regimes. Employing the Boltzmann and Landauer formalisms we calculate the spin and charge Seebeck coefficients (thermopower) in magnetic graphene varying the spin splitting, temperature, and doping of the junction. It is found that while in normal graphene the temperature gradient drive a charge current, in the case of magnetic graphene a significant spin current is also established. In particular we show that in the undoped magnetic graphene in which different spin carriers belong to conduction and valence bands, a pure spin current is driven by the temperature gradient. In addition it is revealed that profound thermoelectric effects can be achieved at intermediate easily accessible temperatures when the thermal energy is comparable with Fermi energy $k_BT\lesssim \mu$. By further investigation of the spin-dependent Seebeck effect and a significantly large figure of merit for spin thermopower $\mathcal{Z}_{\rm sp}T$, we suggest magnetic graphene as a promising material for spin-caloritronics studies and applications.