Abstract
Exploiting 2D materials for spintronic applications can potentially realize next-generation devices featuring low power consumption and quantum operation capability. The magnetic exchange field (MEF) induced by an adjacent magnetic insulator enables efficient control of local spin generation and spin modulation in 2D devices without compromising the delicate material structures. Using graphene as a prototypical 2D system, we demonstrate that its coupling to the model magnetic insulator (EuS) produces a substantial MEF (>14 T) with the potential to reach hundreds of tesla, which leads to orders-of-magnitude enhancement of the spin signal originating from the Zeeman spin Hall effect. Furthermore, the new ferromagnetic ground state of Dirac electrons resulting from the strong MEF may give rise to quantized spin-polarized edge transport. The MEF effect shown in our graphene/EuS devices therefore provides a key functionality for future spin logic and memory devices based on emerging 2D materials in classical and quantum information processing.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 711-716 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Nature Materials |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jul 2016 |
Funding
We thank J. Bucchignano, S. Dawes, B. Ek, J. Gonsalves and E. Galligan at IBM for the technical support. We also thank D. A. Abanin, E. Berg, L. S. Levitov, P. A. Lee, M. E. Flatt? and D. Xiao for valuable discussions. P.W. and J.S.M. would like to acknowledge support from National Science Foundation Grant DMR-1207469, Office of Naval Research Grant N00014-13-1-0301, and John Templeton Foundation Grant No. 39944. J.H. and S.L. would like to acknowledge support from the NSF MRSEC programme through Columbia in the Center for Precision Assembly of Superstratic and Superatomic Solids (DMR-1420634). D.H. would like to acknowledge support from National Science Foundation Grant ECCS-1402378.