Influence of Impurity Spin Dynamics on Quantum Transport in Epitaxial Graphene

Quantum Nature of Charge Transport in Inkjet-Printed Graphene Revealed in High Magnetic Fields up to 60T

Inkjet-printing of graphene, iGr, provides an alternative route for the fabrication of highly conductive and flexible graphene films for use in devices. However, the contribution of quantum phenomena associated with 2D single layer graphene, SLG, to the charge transport in iGr is yet to be explored. Here, the first magneto-transport study of iGr in high magnetic fields up to 60 T is presented. The observed quantum phenomena, such as weak localization and negative magnetoresistance, are strongly affected by the thickness of the iGr film and can be explained by a combination of intra- and inter-flake classical and quantum charge transport. The quantum nature of carrier transport in iGr is revealed using temperature, electric field, and magnetic field dependences of the iGr conductivity. These results are relevant for the exploitation of inkjet deposition of graphene, which is of particular interest for additive manufacturing and 3D printing of flexible and wearable electronics. It is shown that printed nanostructures enable ensemble averaging of quantum interference phenomena within a single device, thereby facilitating comparison between experiment and underlying statistical models of electron transport.

Asymmetric Electron-Hole Decoherence in Ion-Gated Epitaxial Graphene

We report on asymmetric electron-hole decoherence in epitaxial graphene gated by an ionic liquid. The observed negative magnetoresistance near zero magnetic field for different gate voltages, analyzed in the framework of weak localization, gives rise to distinct electron-hole decoherence. The hole decoherence rate increases prominently with decreasing negative gate voltage while the electron decoherence rate does not exhibit any substantial gate dependence. Quantitatively, the hole decoherence rate is as large as the electron decoherence rate by a factor of two. We discuss possible microscopic origins including spin-exchange scattering consistent with our experimental observations.

Large positive in-plane magnetoresistance induced by localized states at nanodomain boundaries in graphene

Graphene supports long spin lifetimes and long diffusion lengths at room temperature, making it highly promising for spintronics. However, making graphene magnetic remains a principal challenge despite the many proposed solutions. Among these, graphene with zig-zag edges and ripples are the most promising candidates, as zig-zag edges are predicted to host spin-polarized electronic states, and spin-orbit coupling can be induced by ripples. Here we investigate the magnetoresistance of graphene grown on technologically relevant SiC/Si(001) wafers, where inherent nanodomain boundaries sandwich zig-zag structures between adjacent ripples of large curvature. Localized states at the nanodomain boundaries result in an unprecedented positive in-plane magnetoresistance with a strong temperature dependence. Our work may offer a tantalizing way to add the spin degree of freedom to graphene.

Spin Manipulation in Graphene by Chemically Induced Pseudospin Polarization

Spin manipulation is one of the most critical challenges to realize spin-based logic devices and spintronic circuits. Graphene has been heralded as an ideal material to achieve spin manipulation, but so far new paradigms and demonstrators are limited. Here we show that certain impurities such as fluorine adatoms, which locally break sublattice symmetry without the formation of strong magnetic moment, could result in a remarkable variability of spin transport characteristics. The impurity resonance level is found to be associated with a long-range sublattice pseudospin polarization, which by locally decoupling spin and pseudospin dynamics provokes a huge spin lifetime electron-hole asymmetry. In the dilute impurity limit, spin lifetimes could be tuned electrostatically from 100 ps to several nanoseconds, providing a protocol to chemically engineer an unprecedented spin device functionality.