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Residue-Free Fabrication of van der Waals Heterostructures of Two-Dimensional Materials
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Tailoring emergent spin phenomena in Dirac material heterostructures.
Dmitrii Khokhriakov1, Aron W Cummings2, Kenan Song2,3
1Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-41296 Göteborg, Sweden.
Science Advances
|September 27, 2018
Summary
We combined graphene with topological insulators (TIs) to create heterostructures with strong spin-orbit coupling in graphene. This hybridization enhances spin-orbit coupling, enabling new device functionalities.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
- Spintronics
Background:
- Dirac materials like graphene and topological insulators (TIs) exhibit unique electronic and spintronic properties.
- Van der Waals heterostructures offer a platform to combine distinct material functionalities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the emergence and impact of proximity-induced spin-orbit coupling in graphene-TI heterostructures.
- To explore the tunability and suppression of spin signals and lifetimes in these novel structures.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of graphene-TI van der Waals heterostructures.
- Spin transport and spin precession measurements.
- Ab initio simulations for theoretical support.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated strong proximity-induced spin-orbit coupling in graphene within heterostructures.
- Observed significant tunability and suppression of spin signal and spin lifetime.
- Estimated spin-orbit coupling strength nearly an order of magnitude higher than in pristine graphene.
Conclusions:
- Hybridization of graphene and TI electronic bands significantly enhances spin-orbit coupling.
- Graphene-TI heterostructures present opportunities for exotic phenomena and topological proximity effects.
- Potential for novel spintronic device functionalities.
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