Graphene Becomes Magnetic for First Time






More than two years ago, researchers at the University of Copenhagen discovered that that all changed if you curved the graphene into a cylinder. In that shape, the movement of electrons did influence the spin of other electrons, opening the door to their potential in spintronics.

In order for a material to be have magnetic properties a majority of the electrons in the material must be spinning in the same direction. Despite the work of the Copenhagen researchers and many others, it has remained a challenge to get graphenes’ electrons to spin in the same direction instead of just randomly. But the Spanish researchers believe they have accomplished it.

“In spite of the huge efforts to date of scientists all over the world, it has not been possible to add the magnetic properties required to develop graphene-based spintronics. However these results pave the way to this possibility," says Prof. Rodolfo Miranda, Director of IMDEA-Nanociencia, in a press release.

The research, which was published in the journal Nature Physics ("Long-range magnetic order in a purely organic 2D layer adsorbed on epitaxial graphene"), first grew ultra pure graphene film over a crystal inside of a vacuum. While still in the vacumm, the researchers evaporated molecules of a semiconductor on the graphene’s surface. When they observed the material with a scanning tunneling microscope, they were surprised to discover that the semiconductor molecules were organized and regularly distributed across the surface of the graphene and its crystal substrate.

Since spintronics hasn't really progressed beyond its application into devices beyond hard-disk drives, the ability to give graphene magnetic properties likely won't bring spintronic devices into other applications any sooner. But these kinds of breakthroughs do have a way of opening up unexpected possibilities.

Photos:  IMDEA-Nanoscience




Dexter Johnson
Madrid, Spain
Rachel Courtland
Associate Editor, IEEE Spectrum
New York, NY