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Spin filter effect and large magnetoresistance in the zigzag graphene nanoribbons

  • Mesoscopic and Nanoscale Systems
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Abstract

The spin filter effect and magnetoresistance (MR) in the graphene nanoribbons with zigzag edges have been investigated by the non-equilibrium Green’s function method. Due to the spin-dependent current blocking effect, the ferromagnetic graphene/normal graphene junction can filter the spin in one direction, so a fully spin-polarized current is found. As the on-site energy μR in the right lead goes from negative to positive, the spin-down transmission would suddenly transforms from an `ON’ state to an `OFF’ state, however the spin-up transmission transforms from an `OFF’ state to an `ON’ state, so we can choose the current’s spin polarized direction by tuning μR. For the ferromagnetic graphene/ferromagnetic graphene junction the current for the antiparallel magnetization configuration is blocked, a very large MR is obtained. It is expected that these features may serve as a type of useful spintronic devices in future.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016, P.R. China

    Z. P. Niu

  2. National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, P.R. China

    Z. P. Niu & D. Y. Xing

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  1. Z. P. Niu
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  2. D. Y. Xing
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Correspondence to Z. P. Niu.

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Niu, Z., Xing, D. Spin filter effect and large magnetoresistance in the zigzag graphene nanoribbons. Eur. Phys. J. B 73, 139–143 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2009-00401-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2009-00401-3

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