Magnetic-Phase Dependence of the Spin Carrier Mean Free Path in Graphene Nanoribbons
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Updated: Mar 19, 2026

Advanced Experimental Methods for Low-temperature Magnetotransport Measurement of Novel Materials
Published on: January 21, 2016
Jing Li1, Yann-Michel Niquet1, Christophe Delerue2
1Université Grenoble Alpes, INAC-MEM, L_Sim, Grenoble, France and CEA, INAC-MEM, L_Sim, 38000 Grenoble, France.
Abstract:
We show theoretically that the intrinsic (phonon-limited) carrier mobility in graphene nanoribbons is considerably influenced by the presence of spin-polarized edge states. When the coupling between opposite edges switches from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic with increasing carrier density, the current becomes spin polarized and the mean free path rises from 10 nm to micrometers. In the ferromagnetic state, the current flows through one majority-spin channel which is ballistic over micrometers and several minority-spin channels with mean free paths as low as 1 nm. These features predicted in technology-relevant conditions could be nicely exploited in spintronic devices.
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