January 2015

The Graphene Flagship announced a €350,000 work package that explores the potential of graphene spintronics for future devices and applications. The GF is searching for a new partner company to support device development and commercialisation of graphene spintronics, by applying it in specific device architectures dedicated to commercially viable applications and determining the required figures of merits.

The project's budget is for the period 1 April 2016 – 31 March 2018, and includes devices which require optimized (long distance) spin transport, spin-based sensors, and new integrated two-dimensional spin valve architectures. The Graphene Flagship expects that at the start of the Horizon 2020 phase (April 2016), spin injection and spin transport in graphene and related materials will have been characterised and the resulting functional properties will have been understood and modeled.

Researchers from the University of California at Riverside developed a way to introduce magnetism in graphene while still preserving electronics properties. This new method is superior to doping as it does not damage graphene's electronic properties.

The research team used yttrium iron garnet grown using laser molecular beam epitaxy. They placed a single layer of graphene on an atom-thick sheet of yttrium iron garnet, and discovered that graphene borrowed the magnetic properties of the material. The researchers state that they managed to avoid interfering with graphene's electrical transport properties by using the electric insulator compound.

Two independent studies published recently suggest that Silicon Carbide (SiC) is a promising material for atomic-scale spintronics. Both reported their results in Nature Materials.

The first study (by researchers from the University of Chicago, the University of California, Linkoping University, and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency) shows that individual electron spins in high-purity monocrystalline 4H-SiC can be isolated and coherently controlled. These states exhibit exceptionally long ensemble Hahn-echo spin coherence times, exceeding 1ms.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $500,000 CAREER Award grant for Dr. Claudia Mewes from the towards her spintronics research. The CAREER Award is the NSF’s most prestigious recognition of top-performing young scientists.

Dr. Claudia's research will combine different theories to close the gap between materials design and device performance with the ultimate goal of finding materials that work best in those environments. Dr. Claudia's research includes an educational outreach component looking to increase the number of young girls interested in pursuing careers in science.

Researchers from Tohoku University and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) have confirmed that surface plasmon resonance can be used to generate spin currents.

Surface plasmon resonance happens when electrons are hit by photos and react by vibrating. It is commonly used in bio-sensors and lab-on-a-chop systems. The researchers have shown that directing light on a certain magnetic material, a spin current can be produced and controlled.