Electrically and magnetically readable memory with a graphene/1T-CrTe₂ heterostructure: anomalous Hall transistor

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Quantum Computing

Background:

• Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures offer tunable electronic properties.
• Ferromagnetic materials integrated with 2D materials enable novel spintronic functionalities.
• Control over spin polarization is crucial for next-generation electronic devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the spin-polarized anomalous Hall conductivity (AHC) in a graphene/ferromagnetic CrTe2 vdW heterostructure.
• To explore the electric field control of AHC and magnetoelectric responses.
• To propose a novel device concept based on the observed phenomena.

Main Methods:

• First-principles theoretical analysis.
• Calculation of spin-polarized anomalous Hall conductivity.
• Investigation of charge transfer and electric polarization.
• Analysis of magnetoelectric coupling and Berry curvature.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated tunable AHC in graphene/CrTe2 heterostructures via perpendicular electric field (E).
• Identified charge transfer and spin-split Dirac points as origins of AHC and linear magnetoelectric effects.
• Showcased electric field control over magnetization, carrier density, and spin-polarized Berry curvature.
• Quantified electric polarization P = 1.69 μC cm⁻² and the coupling H' = -VP·E.

Conclusions:

• The electric field effectively controls the spin-polarized AHC in graphene/CrTe2 heterostructures.
• The study reveals the underlying mechanisms of AHC and magnetoelectric responses.
• A novel Anomalous Hall Transistor (AHT) is proposed, leveraging quantum geometry and magnetoelectric transport for binary information storage in quantum devices.