2016/09/24 by P. Gargiani, Pierluigi Gargiani, R. Cuadrado +5
Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Antiferromagnetism #Condensed matter physics #Coupling (piping) #Exchange bias #Ferromagnetism #Graphene #Graphene research and applications #Magnetic anisotropy #Magnetic field #Magnetic properties of thin films #Magnetization #Materials science #Nanotechnology #Perpendicular #Physics #Quantum and electron transport phenomena #Spintronics #Superexchange #cond-mat.mtrl-sci
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/s41467-017-00825-9
published as Nature Communications 8, Article number: 699 (2017) · 18 pages, 4 figures
arxiv created 2016/09/24 · openalex publication_date 2017/09/20 · arxiv updated 2017/10/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Graphene-spaced magnetic systems with antiferromagnetic exchange-coupling offer exciting opportunities for emerging technologies. Unfortunately, the in-plane graphene-mediated exchange-coupling found so far is not appropriate for realistic exploitation, due to being weak, being of complex nature, or requiring low temperatures. Here we establish that ultra-thin Fe/graphene/Co films grown on Ir(111) exhibit robust perpendicular antiferromagnetic exchange-coupling, and gather a collection of magnetic properties well-suited for applications. Remarkably, the observed exchange coupling is thermally stable above room temperature, strong but field controllable, and occurs in perpendicular orientation with opposite remanent layer magnetizations. Atomistic first-principles simulations provide further ground for the feasibility of graphene-spaced antiferromagnetic coupled structures, confirming graphene's direct role in sustaining antiferromagnetic superexchange-coupling between the magnetic films. These results provide a path for the realization of graphene-based perpendicular synthetic antiferromagnetic systems, which seem exciting for fundamental nanoscience or potential use in spintronic devices.Antiferromagnetic spintronics may pave the way to innovative information storage devices with perpendicular coupling, however experimental demonstrations are still sparse. Here, the authors demonstrate a graphene-mediated perpendicular antiferromagnetic coupling between Fe and Co layers in a Fe/graphene/Co sandwich structure.