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Spin-Current Modulation in Hexagonal Buckled ZnTe and CdTe Monolayers for Self-Powered Flexible-Piezo-Spintronic
Manish Kumar Mohanta1, Fathima Is1, Amal Kishore1
1Institute of Nano Science and Technology, Knowledge City, Sector 81, Mohali, Punjab 140306, India.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|September 2, 2021
Summary
New 2D semiconductors, ZnTe and CdTe, offer high piezoelectricity and large Rashba spin splitting for next-generation spintronic devices. Their tunable properties and mechanical flexibility pave the way for flexible-piezo-spintronic applications.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Materials Science
- Spintronics
Background:
- Next-generation spintronic devices require gated control of spin transport using piezo potential, necessitating materials with high out-of-plane piezoelectricity and large Rashba spin splitting.
- Previous research has explored various semiconducting channels, but limitations exist, particularly in narrow band gap materials concerning property modulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and investigate novel two-dimensional (2D) hexagonal buckled semiconductors, ZnTe and CdTe, for advanced spintronic applications.
- To evaluate their potential for generating piezo potential in spin field-effect transistors (spin-FETs) and their suitability for flexible devices.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical investigation using state-of-the-art density functional theory (DFT).
- Analysis of electronic, mechanical, piezoelectric, and thermal properties of ZnTe and CdTe monolayers.
- Calculation of Rashba constants and piezoelectric coefficients (d33).
Main Results:
- ZnTe and CdTe monolayers exhibit strong spin-orbit coupling with large Rashba constants (1.06 and 1.27 eV·Å, respectively).
- These materials demonstrate giant out-of-plane piezoelectric coefficients (d33 = 88.68 and 172.61 pm/V), suitable for generating significant piezo potential.
- The 2D materials possess low elastic stiffness, indicating mechanical flexibility, and their wide band gaps allow for effective modulation of electronic properties via strain and electric fields.
Conclusions:
- ZnTe and CdTe are promising candidates for next-generation self-powered flexible-piezo-spintronic devices due to their superior piezoelectric and Rashba spin-splitting properties.
- The proposed hexagonal buckled ZnX (X: S, Se, Te) monolayers represent a new class of materials with tunable electronic, mechanical, and piezoelectric characteristics.
- The findings offer a new avenue for designing advanced spintronic devices with enhanced performance and flexibility.
