Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




CHIP TECH
New magnetic graphene may revolutionize electronics
by Staff Writers
Madrid, Spain (SPX) May 14, 2013


This is a computerized simulation of TCNQ molecules on graphene layer, where they acquire a magnetic order. Credit: IMDEA-Nanoscience.

Researchers from IMDEA-Nanociencia Institute and from Autonoma and Complutense Universities of Madrid (Spain) have managed to give graphene magnetic properties. The breakthrough, published in the journal 'Nature Physics', opens the door to the development of graphene-based spintronic devices, that is, devices based on the spin or rotation of the electron, and could transform the electronics industry.

Scientists were already aware that graphene, an incredible material formed of a mesh of hexagonal carbon atoms, has extraordinary conductivity, mechanical and optical properties. Now it is possible to give it yet one more property: magnetism, implying a breakthrough in electronics.

This is revealed in the study that the Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies in Nanoscience (IMDEA-Nanociencia) and Autonoma Autonomous (UAM) and Complutense (UCM) universities of Madrid have just published in the 'Nature Physics' journal. Researchers have managed to create a hybrid surface from this material that behaves as a magnet.

"In spite of the huge efforts to date of scientists all over the world, it has not been possible to add the magnetic properties required to develop graphene-based spintronics. However these results pave the way to this possibility," highlights Prof. Rodolfo Miranda, Director of IMDEA-Nanociencia.

Spintronics is based on the charge of the electron, as in traditional electronics, but also on its spin, which determines its magnetic moment. A material is magnetic when most of its electrons have the same spin.

As the spin can have two values, its use adds two more states to traditional electronics. Thus, both data processing speed and quantity of data to be stored on electronic devices can be increased, with applications in fields such as telecommunications, computing, energy and biomedicine.

In order to develop a graphene-based spintronic device, the challenge was to 'magnetise' the material, and researchers from Madrid have found the way through the quantum and nanoscience world.

The technique involves growing an ultra perfect grapheme film over a ruthenium single crystal inside an ultra high vacuum chamber whereorganic molecules of tetracyano-p-quinodimethane (TCNQ) are evaporated on the grapheme surface. TCNQ is a molecule that acts as a semiconductor at very low temperatures in certain compounds.

On observing results through an scanning tunnelling microscope (STM), scientists were surprised: organic molecules had organised themselves and were regularly distributed all over the surface, interacting electronically with the graphene-ruthenium substrate.

"We have proved in experiments how the structure of the TCNQ molecules over graphene acquires long-range magnetic order with electrons positioned in different bands according to their spin," clarifies Prof. Amadeo L. Vazquez de Parga.

Meanwhile, his colleague Prof. Fernando Martin has conducted modelling studies that have shown that, although graphene does not interact directly with the TCNQ, it does permit a highly efficient charge transfer between the substrate and the TCNQ molecules and allows the molecules to develop long range magnetic order.

The result is a new graphene-based magnetised layer, which paves the way towards the creation of devices based on what was already considered as the material of the future, but which now may also have magnetic properties.

Manuela Garnica, Daniele Stradi, Sara Barja, Fabian Calleja, Cristina Diaz, Manuel Alcami, Nazario Martin, Amadeo L. Vazquez de Parga, Fernando Martin, Rodolfo Miranda. "Long-range magnetic order in a purely organic 2D layer adsorbed on epitaxial grapheme". Nature Physics, 28 April 2013. Doi:10.1038/nphys2610. The principal authors Manuela Garnica and Daniele Stradi are doing their PhD within the collaboration between IMDEA-Nanoscience and the Autonomous University of Madrid, one of the few graduate programs in the world focused on the study of graphene.

.


Related Links
FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology
Computer Chip Architecture, Technology and Manufacture
Nano Technology News From SpaceMart.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








CHIP TECH
New NIST measurement tool is on target for the fast-growing MEMS industry
Washington DC (SPX) May 09, 2013
As markets for miniature, hybrid machines known as MEMS grow and diversify, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has introduced a long-awaited measurement tool that will help growing numbers of device designers, manufacturers and customers to see eye to eye on eight dimensional and material property measurements that are key to device performance. The NIST-developed te ... read more


CHIP TECH
Where on Earth did the moon's water come from

Water on moon, Earth have a common source

Northrop Grumman Completes Lunar Lander Study for Golden Spike Company

Scientists Use Laser to Find Soviet Moon Rover

CHIP TECH
NASA Curiosity Rover Team Selects Second Drilling Target on Mars

Opportunity Making Smallest Turn Yet, As Dust Storm Affects Rover

More than 78,000 people apply for one-way trip to Mars

Austria Aims For Mars Via Morocco

CHIP TECH
Researchers use graphene quantum dots to detect humidity and pressure

Outside View: Patents laws and suffering innovators

Glow-in-the-Dark Plants on the ISS

Russia Confirms Plans to Send Sarah Brightman to Space

CHIP TECH
China launches communications satellite

On Course for Shenzhou 10

Yuanwang III, VI depart for space-tracking missions

Shenzhou's Shadow Crew

CHIP TECH
Spaceman says goodbye to ISS with David Bowie classic

Canadian ISS astronaut returns to Earth a star

NASA astronauts on spacewalk to fix ammonia leak

The fourth Automated Transfer Vehicle is ready to meet up with its Ariane 5

CHIP TECH
NASA Awards Contract to Modify Mobile Launcher

Angara Rocket Launch Delayed to 2014

ESA's Vega launcher scores new success with Proba-V

European Vega rocket launch delayed due to weather

CHIP TECH
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Finds Dead Stars Polluted with Planet Debris

The Great Exoplanet Debate

NASA's Spitzer Puts Planets in a Petri Dish

Two New Exoplanets Detected with Kepler, SOPHIE and HARPS-N

CHIP TECH
Heady mathematics

Cornstarch proves to be worth its weight in gold

One order of steel; hold the greenhouse gases

Cloud computing is silver lining for Russian firms




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement