Tunable Rashba Effect in Two-Dimensional LaOBiS2 Films: Ultrathin Candidates for Spin Field Effect Transistors

• Published in: Nano letters 2013-11, Vol.13 (11), p.5264-5270
• Main Authors: Liu, Qihang, Guo, Yuzheng, Freeman, Arthur J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Electron states; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Magnetoelectric, magnetostrictive, magnetoacoustic, magnetooptic and magnetothermal devices. Spintronics; Methods of electronic structure calculations; Physics; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Transistors
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/nl4027346

Rashba spin splitting is a two-dimensional (2D) relativistic effect closely related to spintronics. However, so far there is no pristine 2D material to exhibit enough Rashba splitting for the fabrication of ultrathin spintronic devices, such as spin field effect transistors (SFET). On the basis of first-principles calculations, we predict that the stable 2D LaOBiS2 with only 1 nm of thickness can produce remarkable Rashba spin splitting with a magnitude of 100 meV. Because the medium La2O2 layer produces a strong polar field and acts as a blocking barrier, two counter-helical Rashba spin polarizations are localized at different BiS2 layers. The Rashba parameter can be effectively tuned by the intrinsic strain, while the bandgap and the helical direction of spin states sensitively depends on the external electric field. We propose an advanced Datta-Das SFET model that consists of dual gates and 2D LaOBiS2 channels by selecting different Rashba states to achieve the on–off switch via electric fields.