Ultrathin epitaxial cobalt films on graphene for spintronic investigations and applications

Chi Vo-Van (1) , Zoukaa Kassir-Bodon (1) , Hongxing Yang (2) , Johann Coraux (3) , Jan Vogel (1) , Stefania Pizzini (1) , Pascale Bayle-Guillemaud (4) , Mairbek Chshiev (2) , Laurent Ranno (1) , Valérie Santonacci (5) , Philippe David (5) , Violaine Salvador (4) , Olivier Fruchart (1)

1 NEEL - MNM - Micro et NanoMagnétisme
2 SPINTEC - SPINtronique et TEchnologie des Composants
3 NEEL - Quan2m - Interactions modulables dans des états quantiques 2D
4 INAC - Institut Nanosciences et Cryogénie
5 NEEL- EpiCM - Epitaxie et couches minces

Graphene is attractive for spintronics due to its long spin life time and high mobility. So far only thick and polycrystalline slabs have been used as ferromagnetic electrodes. We report the growth of flat, epitaxial ultrathin Co films on graphene. These display perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in the thickness range 0.5-1nm, which is confirmed by theory. PMA, epitaxy and ultrathin thickness bring new perspectives for graphene-based spintronic devices such as the zero-field control of an arbitrary magnetization direction, band matching between electrodes and graphene, and interface effects such as Rashba and electric field control of magnetism.

Domains: Materials Science [cond-mat.mtrl-sci]

Chi Vo-Van, Zoukaa Kassir-Bodon, Hongxing Yang, Johann Coraux, Jan Vogel, et al.. Ultrathin epitaxial cobalt films on graphene for spintronic investigations and applications. New Journal of Physics, 2010, 12, pp.103040. ⟨10.1088/1367-2630/12/10/103040⟩. ⟨hal-00470565⟩