Magnetotransport through ac driven ferromagnetic graphene nanoribbons

We present a theoretical study on the spin-dependent transport through the ferromagnetic graphene nanoribbons in the presence of a magnetic and an in-plane ac electric field, and find that when the ac field is applied, in the two-terminal ferromagnetic graphene device, for the parallel configurations of the electrodes' magnetizations, the width of the even-number conductance plateaus decrease, the new conductance plateaus appear at the odd-number positions, and the even-number conductance plateaus at the high energy are quenched under the sufficiently strong ac field. In contrast, for the antiparallel configuration of the electrodes' magnetizations, the odd-plateaus of the conductance shrink, and the new plateaus developed at the even-number positions. The magnetic resistance exhibits a successive rectangular-like oscillation structure close to the band edge, whereas experiences an alternative transition between the sharp peak and dip near the zero energy with increasing the ac field strength. In the six-terminal ferromagnetic graphene device, the variations of the longitudinal and Hall resistances' plateaus as well as the addition of the new quantized plateaus with the rise of the ac field strength are also revealed.     

Manipulating edge current spin polarization in zigzag MoS2 nanoribbons

The electronic structure and quantum transport of a zigzag monolayer molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanoribbon are investigated using a six-band tight-binding model. For metallic edge modes, considering both an intrinsic spin–orbit coupling and local exchange field effects, spin degeneracy and spin inversion symmetry are broken and spin selective transport is possible. Our model is a three-terminal field effect transistor with a circular-shaped gate voltage in the middle of scattering region. One terminal measures the top edge current and the other measures the bottom edge current separately. By controlling the circular gate voltage, each terminal can detect a totally spin-polarized edge current. The radius of the circular gate and the strength of the exchange field are important, because the former determines the size of the channel in both S-terminated (top) and Mo-terminated (bottom) edges and the latter is strongly related to unbalancing of the density of spin states. The results presented here suggest that it should be possible to construct spin filters using implanted MoS₂ nanoribbons.     

Spin-polarized transport in a normal/ferromagnetic/normal zigzag graphene nanoribbon junction

We investigate the spin-dependent electron transport in single and double normal/ferromagnetic/normal zigzag graphene nanoribbon (NG/FG/NG) junctions.The ferromagnetism in the FG region originates from the spontaneous magnetization of the zigzag graphene nanoribbon.It is shown that when the zigzag-chain number of the ribbon is even and only a single transverse mode is actived,the single NG/FG/NG junction can act as a spin polarizer and/or a spin analyzer because of the valley selection rule and the spin-exchange field in the FG,while the double NG/FG/NG/FG/NG junction exhibits a quantum switching effect,in which the on and the off states switch rapidly by varying the cross angle between two FG magnetizations.Our findings may shed light on the application of magnetized graphene nanoribbons to spintronics devices.     

Spin-polarized transport in a normal/ferromagnetic/normal zigzag graphene nanoribbon junction

We investigate the spin-dependent electron transport in single and double normal/ferromagnetic/normal zigzag graphene nanoribbon (NG/FG/NG) junctions. The ferromagnetism in the FG region originates from the spontaneous magnetization of the zigzag graphene nanoribbon. It is shown that when the zigzag-chain number of the ribbon is even and only a single transverse mode is actived, the single NG/FG/NG junction can act as a spin polarizer and/or a spin analyzer because of the valley selection rule and the spin-exchange field in the FG, while the double NG/FG/NG/FG/NG junction exhibits a quantum switching effect, in which the on and the off states switch rapidly by varying the cross angle between two FG magnetizations. Our findings may shed light on the application of magnetized graphene nanoribbons to spintronics devices.     

Electrical controllable spin valves in a zigzag silicene nanoribbon ferromagnetic junction

We propose two possible spin valves based on a zigzag silicene nanoribbon(ZSR) ferromagnetic junction. By using the Landauer–B u¨tikker formula, we calculate the spin-resolved conductance spectrum of the system and find that the spin transport is crucially dependent on the band structure of the ZSR tuned by a perpendicular electric field. When the ZSR is in the topological insulator phase under a zero electric field, the low-energy spin transport and its ON and OFF states in the tunneling junction mainly rely on the valley valve effect and the edge state of the energy band, which can be electrically modulated by the Fermi level, the spin–orbit coupling, and the local magnetization. When a nonzero perpendicular electric field is applied, the ZSR is a band insulator with a finite energy gap, the spin switch phenomenon is still preserved in the device and it does not come from the valley valve effect, but from the energy gap opened by the perpendicular electric field. The proposed device might be designed as electrical tunable spin valves to manipulate the spin degree of freedom of electrons in silicene.     

Magnetotransport through an Aharonov-Bohm ring with parallel double quantum dots coupled to ferromagnetic leads

Using the Keldysh nonequilibrium Green function and equation-of-motion technique, this paper studies the magnetotransport through an Aharonov--Bohm (AB) ring with parallel double quantum dots coupled to ferromagnetic leads. It calculates the transmission probability in both the equilibrium and the nonequilibrium case, analyses the conductance and the tunnel magnetoresistance for various parameters, and obtains some new results. These results show that this system is provided with an excellent spin filtering property, and that a large tunnelling magnetoresistance and a negative tunnelling magnetoresistance can arise by adjusting relative parameters; these facts indicate that this system is a possible candidate for spin valve transistors, and has important applications in spintronics.     

Kondo effect in a deformed molecule coupled asymmetrically to ferromagnetic electrodes

The nonequilibrium Kondo effect is studied in a molecule quantum dot coupled asymmetrically to two ferromagnetic electrodes by employing the nonequilibrium Green function technique. The current-induced deformation of the molecule is taken into account, modeled as interactions with a phonon system, and phonon-assisted Kondo satellites arise on both sides of the usual main Kondo peak. In the antiparallel electrode configuration, the Kondo satellites can be split only for the asymmetric dot-lead couplings, distinguished from the parallel configuration where splitting also exists, even though it is for symmetric case. We also analyze how to compensate the splitting and restore the suppressed zero-bias Kondo resonance. It is shown that one can change the TMR ratio significantly from a negative dip to a positive peak only by slightly modulating a local external magnetic field, whose value is greatly dependent on the electron--phonon coupling strength.     

Spin-dependent transport properties of debrominated tetrabromopolyaromatic with Cu or Co doping embedded between zigzag graphene nanoribbon electrodes

Using density functional theory combined with non-equilibrium Green's function method, we investigate the spin-dependent transport properties of debrominated tetrabromopolyaromatic (D-TBPA) molecules embedded between zigzag graphene nanoribbon electrodes, and the effects of copper and cobalt side doping have also been considered. Our results show that the copper doping can insert new energy levels around the Fermi Level and keep spin degeneration of band structure, the cobalt doping can also induce spin splitting. The results on spin transport properties of D-TBPAs embedded into zigzag graphene nanoribbon electrodes show that these systems exist spin filtering and negative differential resistance behaviors. Corresponding physical mechanism on the spin-dependent transport property has been revealed according to the frontier molecular orbital characteristics.     

Simulations of monolayer SiC transistors with metallic 1T-phase MoS2 contact for high performance application

We preform a first-principles study of performance of 5 nm double-gated (DG) Schottky-barrier field effect transistors (SBFETs) based on two-dimensional SiC with monolayer or bilayer metallic 1T-phase MoS₂ contacts. Because of the wide bandgap of SiC, the corresponding DG SBFETs can weaken the short channel effect. The calculated transfer characteristics also meet the standard of the high performance transistor summarized by international technology road-map for semiconductors. Moreover, the bilayer metallic 1T-phase MoS₂ contacts in three stacking structures all can further raise the ON-state currents of DG SiC SBFETs in varying degrees. The above results are helpful and instructive for design of short channel transistors in the future.     

Angular dependence of the ferromagnetic resonance spectrum in continuous/heterogeneous multilayers

We present here a study of the angular dependence of the ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectra in trilayers formed by two continuous ferromagnetic layers, Fe and Ni₈₀Fe₂₀ (permalloy), separated by a granular film of Fe(x)–SiO₂(1–x). The study of the Fe/Fe-SiO₂/Ni₈₀Fe₂₀ trilayer was made for an Fe volume concentration x=0.75 and two thicknesses (t=1 and 18 nm) of the granular layer. One microwave absorption line is in general found close to the field expected for Fe, while the other is coincident with the resonance field of permalloy. However, the Fe-like absorption is considerably wider than what is usually observed in pure Fe films, which suggests the presence of a strong exchange interaction between this layer and the granular spacer. The angular dependence of the resonance field and the line width could be very well fitted with a model that assumes an effective in-plane anisotropy for each layer, indicating that the shape anisotropy dominates the angular response of both modes. When the excitation frequency is increased, the line width of the permalloy-like mode increases by a similar factor. The width of the Fe-like mode is very similar at different frequencies because of the effect of the granular layer.     

Effect of nano-oxide layers on giant magnetoresistance in pseudo-spin-valves using Co2FeAl electrodes

We studied the pseudo-spin-valves (PSVs) with a structure of Ta/Co₂FeAl/NOL₁/Co₂FeAl/Cu/Co₂FeAl/NOL₂/Ta, where NOL represents the nano-oxide layer. Compared with the normal Co₂FeAl (CFA) PSV with a structure of Ta/Co₂FeAl/Cu/Co₂FeAl/Ta, which shows only a current-in-plane (CIP) giant magnetoresistance (GMR) of 0.03%, the CFA PSV with NOLs shows a large CIP-GMR of 5.84%. The enhanced GMR by the NOLs inserted in the CFA PSV is due to the large specular reflection caused by [(CoO)(Fe₂O₃)(Al₂O₃)] in NOL₁ and [(Fe₂O₃)(Al₂O₃)(Ta₂O₅)] in NOL₂. Another reason is that the roughness of the interface between Ta and CFA is improved by the oxidation procedure.     

Band gap opening in zigzag graphene nanoribbon modulated with magnetic atoms

The effects of magnetic atom on the band structure of zigzag-edged graphene nanoribbons are investigated by the density functional theory. The results show that for narrow zigzag-edged graphene nanoribbons, the band gap can be opened duo to the spin-up/spin-down charges being re-enriched on the edge sites. However, for the wide zigzag-edged graphene nanoribbons, a spin-up/spin-down half-metallic property can be observed. Moreover, it is found that the Seebeck coefficients in the narrow zigzag-edged graphene nanoribbons are reversed and enlarged, which provides a way to design novel thermoelectric device.     

Dependence of the ferromagnetic resonance modes on the coupling strength in exchange-coupled trilayer structures

The dependence of the dispersion relation and the magnetization on the exchange coupling strength was calculated for a system consisting of two ferromagnetic layers exchange-coupled through a nonmagnetic spacer layer. The magnetic layers are characterized by both uniaxial and cubic magnetocrystalline anisotropies. A minimization procedure was developed which allows the resonance modes to be obtained for any magnetic field orientation and strength, as well as for any exchange coupling strength. If the antiparallel coupled film is unsaturated at resonance, the dispersion relation for both acoustic and optic modes could be rather complex, especially when the field is applied in the plane of the film.     

Rectifying performance in zigzag graphene nanoribbon heterojunctions with different edge hydrogenations

Using nonequilibrium Green?s functions in combination with the density functional theory, we investigated the electronic transport behaviors of zigzag graphene nanoribbon (ZGNR) heterojunctions with different edge hydrogenations. The results show that electronic transport properties of ZGNR heterojunctions can be modulated by hydrogenations, and prominent rectification effects can be observed. We propose that the edge dihydrogenation leads to a blocking of electronic transfer, as well as the changes of the distribution of the frontier orbital at negative/positive bias might be responsible for the rectification effects. These results may be helpful for designing practical devices based on graphene nanoribbons.     

Comparison of parallel and perpendicular ferromagnetic resonance in an exchange-biased bilayer

We have investigated the ferromagnetic resonance spectra of an exchange-biased Ni₈₀Fe₂₀/CoO bilayer between room temperature and 4 K. Primary attention has been paid to the effect of the antiferromagnetic CoO film on the temperature-dependent resonance field shift of the ferromagnetic Ni₈₀Fe₂₀ film with respect to that of an unbiased film. At low temperatures, the field shift with the magnetic field applied perpendicular to the plane was determined to be more than twice the magnitude of the parallel field shift, and of the same sign, while an unoxidized single ferromagnetic film has much smaller parallel and perpendicular low-temperature shifts (here defined with respect to room temperature) of opposite sign. This observation implies that the anisotropy axis can rotate with the applied field, provided that the primary cause of the anisotropy is the interaction between the adjacent ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic films. Since the perpendicular shift is more than a factor of two larger than the parallel field shift, the rotatable anisotropy is, in fact, anisotropic in this bilayer.     

锯齿型石墨烯纳米窄带中量子霍尔体系的电场调控

应用含自洽格点在位库仑作用的Kane-Mele模型,研究锯齿型石墨烯纳米窄带平面内横向电场对边界带能带结构和量子自旋霍尔(QSH)体系的影响.研究结果显示,当电场强度较弱时,外加电场的方向可以调控自旋向下的两个边界带一起朝不同方向移动,导致波矢q=0.5处自旋向下的两个纯边界态的能量简并劈裂方向可由电场调控;当电场强度进一步增强到超过0.69 V/nm,自旋向下的两个边界带出现较大带隙,能带反转,而自旋向上的电子结构无能隙,系统呈现半金属性,同时QSH体系不再是B类.特别当电场强度为1.17 V/nm时,在自旋向下能带的能隙中,q=0.5处存在自旋向上的纯边界态,意味着在8格点边界处可以产生自旋向上的纯边界电流.当电场强度持续增加时,QSH系统从B类到C类经历3个阶段的变化.当电场强度超过1.42 V/nm后,自旋向上的两个边界带也出现能带反转,分别成为导带和价带,系统成为C类的普通量子霍尔体系.     

通过嵌入铁磁电极之间 Aharonov-Bohm 干涉仪自旋极化输运性质的研究

使用非平衡态格林函数方法和运动方程近似,研究了嵌入铁磁电极之间Aharonov-Bohm 干涉仪的自旋极化输运性质.在左右铁磁电极平行和反平行两种磁组态下,结合Fano因子分析和讨论了Fano 和Kondo 共振对该系统电导的影响,以及电导随自旋极化强度和磁通的变化.结果表明,自旋极化强度和磁通能有效地调节和控制电导,但电导的线形主要由磁通决定;在适当的条件下能导致大的正磁阻和负磁阻的出现.因此,该系统是一个很好的自旋阀晶体管,在自旋电子学中有潜在的应用价值. 关键词： Fano和Kondo共振 自旋极化强度 Fano因子 隧道磁阻     

Magnetotransport in a graphene monolayer with two tunable magnetic barriers

The magnetotransport property for a monolayer graphene with two turnable magnetic barriers has been investigated by the transfer-matrix method. We show that the parameters of barrier height, width, and interval between two barriers affect the electron wave decaying length, which determine the conductance with parallel or antiparallel magnetization configuration, and consequently the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) for the system. Interestingly, a graphene attached by two barriers with different heights can produce a resonant TMR peak at low energy region one order of magnitude larger than that for the system with two same height barriers because that the asymmetry of magnetic barriers block the electron transmission in the case of antiparallel magnetization configuration. The results obtained here may be useful in understanding of electron tunneling in graphene and in designing of graphene-based nanodevices.     

Valley selection rule in a Y-shaped zigzag graphene nanoribbon junction

The valley valve effect was predicted in a straight zigzag graphene nanoribbon （ZGR） p/n junction. In this work, we address a possible valley selection rule in a Y-shaped ZGR junction. By modeling the system as a three-terminal device and calculating the conductance spectrum, we found that the valley valve effect could be preserved in the system and the Y-shaped connection does not mix the valley index or the pseudoparities of quasiparticles. It is also shown that the Y-shaped ZGR device can be used to separate spins in real space according to the unchanged valley valve effect. Our finding might pave a way to manipulate and detect spins in a multi-terminal graphene-based spin device.     

Martensitic transformation and related magnetic effects in Ni-Mn-based ferromagnetic shape memory alloys

Ferromagnetic shape memory alloys, which undergo the martensitic transformation, are famous multifunctional materials. They exhibit many interesting magnetic properties around the martensitic transformation temperature due to the strong coupling between magnetism and structure. Tuning magnetic phase transition and optimizing the magnetic effects in these alloys are of great importance. In this paper, the regulation of martensitic transformation and the investigation of some related magnetic effects in Ni-Mn-based alloys are reviewed based on our recent research results.