Researchers from Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Yancheng Polytechnic College and Soochow University have investigated spin transport in spintronic devices built from rhombus-shaped nanographenes (RNGs) contacted by zigzag graphene nanoribbon (ZGNR) electrodes via carbon chains. These RNGs exhibit measurable magnetic exchange coupling and robust all‑carbon magnetism, making them promising candidates for room‑temperature spintronic applications.
In the parallel magnetic configuration of the two ZGNR electrodes, the devices show a pronounced spin‑filtering effect that allows only spin‑up electrons to pass through. The connection geometry between the RNGs and the carbon chains is found to strongly influence the quantum transport characteristics.
The recent work also explored the photogalvanic effect (PGE) in these RNG‑based nanodevices. Under an anti‑parallel magnetic configuration, light irradiation generates spin‑up and spin‑down currents with equal magnitude but opposite directions. As a result, the net charge current is suppressed while a finite pure spin current emerges. Moreover, the magnitude and behavior of the PGE‑induced currents can be tuned by engineering the RNG–carbon‑chain connection geometry.
These results underscore the potential of RNGs as versatile building blocks for designing multifunctional, single‑molecule spintronic nanodevices.