Perfect Spin Filter in a Tailored Zigzag Graphene Nanoribbon

Abstract

Zigzag graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs) are expected to serve as the promising component in the all-carbon spintronic device. It remains challenging to fabricate a device based on ZGNRs with high spin-filter efficiency and low experimental complexity. Using density functional theory combined with nonequilibrium Green’s function technique, we studied the spin-dependent transport properties of the tailored zigzag graphene nanoribbon. A perfect spin-filtering effect is found in the tailored structure of ZGNR. The nearly 100% spin-polarized current and high magneto-resistance ratio can be obtained by applying a homogeneous magnetic field across the device. The distribution of spin up and spin down states at the bridge carbon atom plays a dominant role in the perfect spin filtering. The tailoring of ZGNR provides a new effective approach to graphene-based spintronics.

Theoretical insight into the intrinsic electronic transport properties of graphene–biphenylene–graphene nanosheets and nanoribbons: a first-principles study

“…In addition, there are many other new carbon materials that have been predicted theoretically 19 and synthesized experimentally, 20 demonstrating that their theoretical prediction has become a very important tool for the development of carbon materials. [21][22][23][24] Recently, 2D heterostructures have attracted tremendous research attention. 25 Two different layers can be stacked through vdW interactions, which presents some unique optical, 26,27 electronic 28 and other properties.…”

“…In addition, there are many other new carbon materials that have been predicted theoretically 19 and synthesized experimentally, 20 demonstrating that their theoretical prediction has become a very important tool for the development of carbon materials. 21–24…”

Penta-Hexa-Graphene Nanoribbons: Intrinsic Magnetism and Edge Effect Induce Spin-Gapless Semiconducting and Half-Metallic Properties

“…The electronic properties of SGSs are extremely sensitive to external impacts because no threshold energy is required to move electrons from the valence band to the conduction band. , Recently, the SGSs have been found in transition metal-doped monolayer ZnO, N-doped silicene nanoribbons, Heusler compounds such as Mn 2 CoAl, Co-doped PbPdO 2 , VCoHfGa and CrFeHfGa, and so forth. Both half-metals and SGSs with full electron and hole spin polarization are two important candidates for applications in spintronics, − such as spin valves, , spin filters, − spin diode, , and so forth.…”

“…4,17 Recently, the SGSs have been found in transition metal-doped monolayer ZnO, 18 N-doped silicene nanoribbons, 19 Heusler compounds such as Mn 2 CoAl, 20 Codoped PbPdO 2 , 21 VCoHfGa and CrFeHfGa, 22 and so forth. Both half-metals and SGSs with full electron and hole spin polarization are two important candidates for applications in spintronics, 23−25 such as spin valves, 26,27 spin filters, 28−30 spin diode, 31,32 and so forth.…”

Flux-driven and geometry-controlled spin filtering for arbitrary spins in aperiodic quantum networks

“…To name a few such theoretical studies, spin filtering and complete localization effect in a QD network, 11 or the interplay of Rashba spin orbit interaction (RSO) and an external magnetic field, leading to a spin filtering effect in a QD network, 12,13 were among the earlier investigations. Spin polarized coherent electronic transport in low dimensional networks of QD's or magnetic nanowires, [14][15][16][17][18] or the study of a silicine nanoribbon 19 and spin filtering in an engineered graphene nano-ribbon 20 enrich the recent literature, revealing many subtleties in spin polarized quantum transport.…”