Spin Dynamics in Bilayer Graphene : Role of Electron-Hole Puddles and the Dyakonov-Perel Mechanism

TL;DR

This study investigates spin transport in high-quality bilayer graphene, revealing how substrate-induced electron-hole puddles enhance low-energy spin lifetime via the Dyakonov-Perel mechanism, offering insights for spintronic device control.

Contribution

It demonstrates the impact of substrate-induced electron-hole puddles on spin lifetime and relaxation mechanisms in bilayer graphene, highlighting a unique enhancement at low energies.

Findings

Electron-hole puddles increase low-energy spin lifetime.

Spin relaxation at high energies is dominated by pure dephasing.

Distinct spin dynamics compared to monolayer graphene.

Abstract

We report on spin transport features which are unique to high quality bilayer graphene, in absence of magnetic contaminants and strong intervalley mixing. The time-dependent spin polarization of propagating wavepacket is computed using an efficient quantum transport method. In the limit of vanishing effects of substrate and disorder, the energy-dependence of spin lifetime is similar to monolayer graphene with a M-shape profile and minimum value at the charge neutrality point, but with an electron-hole asymmetry fingerprint. In sharp contrast, the incorporation of substrate-induced electron-hole puddles (characteristics of supported graphene either on SiO2 orhBN) surprisingly results in a large enhancement of the low-energy spin lifetime and a lowering of its high-energy values. Such feature, unique to bilayer, is explained in terms of a reinforced Dyakonov-Perel mechanism at the Dirac point, whereas spin relaxation at higher energies is driven by pure dephasing effects. This suggests further electrostatic control of the spin transport length scales in graphene devices.