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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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