Boron Nitride Nanotubes for Spintronics

Abstract

With the end of Moore's law in sight, researchers are in search of an alternative approach to manipulate information. Spintronics or spin-based electronics, which uses the spin state of electrons to store, process and communicate information, offers exciting opportunities to sustain the current growth in the information industry. For example, the discovery of the giant magneto resistance (GMR) effect, which provides the foundation behind modern high density data storage devices, is an important success story of spintronics; GMR-based sensors have wide applications, ranging from automotive industry to biology. In recent years, with the tremendous progress in nanotechnology, spintronics has crossed the boundary of conventional, all metallic, solid state multi-layered structures to reach a new frontier, where nanostructures provide a pathway for the spin-carriers. Different materials such as organic and inorganic nanostructures are explored for possible applications in spintronics. In this short review, we focus on the boron nitride nanotube (BNNT), which has recently been explored for possible applications in spintronics. Unlike many organic materials, BNNTs offer higher thermal stability and higher resistance to oxidation. It has been reported that the metal-free fluorinated BNNT exhibits long range ferromagnetic spin ordering, which is stable at a temperature much higher than room temperature. Due to their large band gap, BNNTs are also explored as a tunnel magneto resistance device. In addition, the F-BNNT has recently been predicted as an ideal spin-filter. The purpose of this review is to highlight these recent progresses so that a concerted effort by both experimentalists and theorists can be carried out in the future to realize the true potential of BNNT-based spintronics.

Direct Observation of Inner-Layer Inward Contractions of Multiwalled Boron Nitride Nanotubes upon in Situ Heating

“…BNNTs also exhibit high chemical stability, excellent mechanical properties, and high thermal conductivity. These unique properties make BN nanotubes a promising nanomaterial in a variety of potential fields, such as gas sensing, spin filters, bio sensing, functional composites, hydrogen accumulators, and electrically insulating substrates [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Exploitation of nanoscale electronic devices based on these tubular nanostructures requires a full understanding of not only the static structural characteristics, but also the structural response to externally applied stimuli [ 14 ], e.g., thermal heat and electromagnetic waves.…”

Adsorption of sugars on Al- and Ga-doped boron nitride surfaces: A computational study

“…Hexagonal boron nitride structures have been considered for many applications, including nanoelectronics [13,14]. In the area nanobiology, the substance's biocompatiblity has made it useful in drug delivery and biosensing [15][16][17].…”

The Properties and Preparation Methods of Different Boron Nitride Nanostructures and Applications of Related Nanocomposites

“…[27,28] The atomic layer spacing of h-BN is 0.333 nm, which is very close to the atomic layer spacing of graphite (0.334 nm), and the color of h-BN is white, so it is known as "white graphite". [29] The hardness of c-BN is only inferior to diamond, [30] B and N atoms are hybridized by sp 3 , and the bonding mode between atoms in the crystal is covalent bond. [31] When the layered structure of h-BN presents a regular inclined stacking, r-BN is formed and the hybridization mode is unchanged.…”