Graphene (two-dimensional carbon) is an attractive material
for spintronics due to weak spin-orbit coupling for robust spin transport
properties. This could lead to spin-based computers that integrate logic and
memory for much greater computing power.
CEM researchers have successfully fabricated graphene spin
valves with ultrathin magnesium oxide (MgO) tunnel barriers, which result in
the largest non-local spin transport signal (130 Ω) ever reported in graphene
or any other material at room temperature (previous record is 0.017 Ω in GaAs,
but at -223° C). This breakthrough enables the development of a graphene spin
computer.
