Spintronic properties of graphene films grown on Ni(111) substrate

Graphene is believed to be a promising candidate for spintronic applications. In this study, we investigate the electronic, magnetic, and, especially, spintronic properties of graphene films grown on Ni(111) substrate using relativistic density-functional calculations. Enhanced Rashba spin-orbit cou...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied physics 2011-08, Vol.110 (4), p.043704-043704-5
Main Authors: Gong, S. J., Li, Z. Y., Yang, Z. Q., Gong, Cheng, Duan, Chun-Gang, Chu, J. H.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:Graphene is believed to be a promising candidate for spintronic applications. In this study, we investigate the electronic, magnetic, and, especially, spintronic properties of graphene films grown on Ni(111) substrate using relativistic density-functional calculations. Enhanced Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC), with a magnitude of up to 20 meV-several orders of magnitude larger than the intrinsic SOC strength in freestanding graphene-is found at the graphene-Ni(111) interface. The hybridization between graphene's p z states and Ni's 3 d states magnetizes the interfacial carbon atoms and induces a sizable exchange splitting in the π band of the graphene sheet. The calculated results agree well with the recently reported experimental data and provide a deep understanding of the spintronic behavior of graphene in contact with a 3 d -ferromagnet.
ISSN:0021-8979
1089-7550
DOI:10.1063/1.3622618