Creating quantum spin chains through edge reconstruction in pure graphene armchair nanoribbons towards ballistic spin transport

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how edge reconstruction in armchair graphene nanoribbons can create antiferromagnetic spin chains capable of ballistic spin transport, advancing potential quantum spintronic applications.

Contribution

It introduces a method to induce Heisenberg antiferromagnetic spin chains in armchair graphene nanoribbons via edge reconstruction, a novel approach for spintronic device design.

Findings

Reconstructed edges form pentagonal or hybrid rings with antiferromagnetic interactions.

Reconstructed nanoribbons are narrow-gap semiconductors with spin-degenerate edge states.

Ballistic spin transport is achievable along reconstructed edges.

Abstract

It is well-known that ferromagnetism can be realized along the zigzag graphene nanoribbon edges, but the armchair graphene nanoribbon edges (AGNEs) are nonmagnetic. Here, we achieve Heisenberg antiferromagnetic spin chains through edge reconstruction along the AGNEs. The reconstructed edge consists of pentagonal carbon rings or a hybrid of pentagonal and hexagonal carbon rings. The resultant nanoribbons are narrow-gap semiconductors and the band edge states are either spin-degenerate edge states or nonmagnetic bulk states. The spin is located on the outermost carbon of the pentagonal ring, and the inter-spin exchange is the nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic interaction. For finite chain lengthes or nonzero magnetization, there are nonzero spin Drude weights and thus ballistic quantum spin transport can be achieved along the reconstructed edges, These could be used for quantum spin information transfer and spintronic applications.