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Magnetic edge states and coherent manipulation of graphene nanoribbons

Author

Listed:
  • Michael Slota

    (University of Oxford
    University of Oxford)

  • Ashok Keerthi

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung)

  • William K. Myers

    (University of Oxford)

  • Evgeny Tretyakov

    (N. N. Vorozhtsov Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry)

  • Martin Baumgarten

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung)

  • Arzhang Ardavan

    (University of Oxford
    University of Oxford)

  • Hatef Sadeghi

    (Lancaster University)

  • Colin J. Lambert

    (Lancaster University)

  • Akimitsu Narita

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung)

  • Klaus Müllen

    (Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung)

  • Lapo Bogani

    (University of Oxford
    University of Oxford)

Abstract

Graphene, a single-layer network of carbon atoms, has outstanding electrical and mechanical properties 1 . Graphene ribbons with nanometre-scale widths2,3 (nanoribbons) should exhibit half-metallicity 4 and quantum confinement. Magnetic edges in graphene nanoribbons5,6 have been studied extensively from a theoretical standpoint because their coherent manipulation would be a milestone for spintronic 7 and quantum computing devices 8 . However, experimental investigations have been hampered because nanoribbon edges cannot be produced with atomic precision and the graphene terminations that have been proposed are chemically unstable 9 . Here we address both of these problems, by using molecular graphene nanoribbons functionalized with stable spin-bearing radical groups. We observe the predicted delocalized magnetic edge states and test theoretical models of the spin dynamics and spin–environment interactions. Comparison with a non-graphitized reference material enables us to clearly identify the characteristic behaviour of the radical-functionalized graphene nanoribbons. We quantify the parameters of spin–orbit coupling, define the interaction patterns and determine the spin decoherence channels. Even without any optimization, the spin coherence time is in the range of microseconds at room temperature, and we perform quantum inversion operations between edge and radical spins. Our approach provides a way of testing the theory of magnetism in graphene nanoribbons experimentally. The coherence times that we observe open up encouraging prospects for the use of magnetic nanoribbons in quantum spintronic devices.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Slota & Ashok Keerthi & William K. Myers & Evgeny Tretyakov & Martin Baumgarten & Arzhang Ardavan & Hatef Sadeghi & Colin J. Lambert & Akimitsu Narita & Klaus Müllen & Lapo Bogani, 2018. "Magnetic edge states and coherent manipulation of graphene nanoribbons," Nature, Nature, vol. 557(7707), pages 691-695, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:557:y:2018:i:7707:d:10.1038_s41586-018-0154-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0154-7
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Shengcong Shang & Changsheng Du & Youxing Liu & Minghui Liu & Xinyu Wang & Wenqiang Gao & Ye Zou & Jichen Dong & Yunqi Liu & Jianyi Chen, 2022. "A one-dimensional conductive metal-organic framework with extended π-d conjugated nanoribbon layers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Dongfei Wang & De-Liang Bao & Qi Zheng & Chang-Tian Wang & Shiyong Wang & Peng Fan & Shantanu Mishra & Lei Tao & Yao Xiao & Li Huang & Xinliang Feng & Klaus Müllen & Yu-Yang Zhang & Roman Fasel & Pasc, 2023. "Twisted bilayer zigzag-graphene nanoribbon junctions with tunable edge states," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Austin J. Way & Robert M. Jacobberger & Nathan P. Guisinger & Vivek Saraswat & Xiaoqi Zheng & Anjali Suresh & Jonathan H. Dwyer & Padma Gopalan & Michael S. Arnold, 2022. "Graphene nanoribbons initiated from molecularly derived seeds," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Jens Brede & Nestor Merino-Díez & Alejandro Berdonces-Layunta & Sofía Sanz & Amelia Domínguez-Celorrio & Jorge Lobo-Checa & Manuel Vilas-Varela & Diego Peña & Thomas Frederiksen & José I. Pascual & Di, 2023. "Detecting the spin-polarization of edge states in graphene nanoribbons," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
    5. Jinyi Wang & Yihan Zhu & Guilin Zhuang & Yayu Wu & Shengda Wang & Pingsen Huang & Guan Sheng & Muqing Chen & Shangfeng Yang & Thomas Greber & Pingwu Du, 2022. "Synthesis of a magnetic π-extended carbon nanosolenoid with Riemann surfaces," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.

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