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Strain-induced phase transition and electron spin-polarization in graphene spirals

Spin-polarized triangular graphene nanoflakes (t-GNFs) serve as ideal building blocks for the long-desired ferromagnetic graphene superlattices, but they are always assembled to planar structures which reduce its mechanical properties. Here, by joining t-GNFs in a spiral way, we propose one-dimensio...

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Main Authors: Zhang, Xiaoming, Zhao, Mingwen
Format: Online Article Text
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2014
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4100015/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25027550
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep05699
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author Zhang, Xiaoming
Zhao, Mingwen
author_facet Zhang, Xiaoming
Zhao, Mingwen
author_sort Zhang, Xiaoming
collection PubMed
description Spin-polarized triangular graphene nanoflakes (t-GNFs) serve as ideal building blocks for the long-desired ferromagnetic graphene superlattices, but they are always assembled to planar structures which reduce its mechanical properties. Here, by joining t-GNFs in a spiral way, we propose one-dimensional graphene spirals (GSs) with superior mechanical properties and tunable electronic structures. We demonstrate theoretically the unique features of electron motion in the spiral lattice by means of first-principles calculations combined with a simple Hubbard model. Within a linear elastic deformation range, the GSs are nonmagnetic metals. When the axial tensile strain exceeds an ultimate strain, however, they convert to magnetic semiconductors with stable ferromagnetic ordering along the edges. Such strain-induced phase transition and tunable electron spin-polarization revealed in the GSs open a new avenue for spintronics devices.
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spelling pubmed-41000152014-07-16 Strain-induced phase transition and electron spin-polarization in graphene spirals Zhang, Xiaoming Zhao, Mingwen Sci Rep Article Spin-polarized triangular graphene nanoflakes (t-GNFs) serve as ideal building blocks for the long-desired ferromagnetic graphene superlattices, but they are always assembled to planar structures which reduce its mechanical properties. Here, by joining t-GNFs in a spiral way, we propose one-dimensional graphene spirals (GSs) with superior mechanical properties and tunable electronic structures. We demonstrate theoretically the unique features of electron motion in the spiral lattice by means of first-principles calculations combined with a simple Hubbard model. Within a linear elastic deformation range, the GSs are nonmagnetic metals. When the axial tensile strain exceeds an ultimate strain, however, they convert to magnetic semiconductors with stable ferromagnetic ordering along the edges. Such strain-induced phase transition and tunable electron spin-polarization revealed in the GSs open a new avenue for spintronics devices. Nature Publishing Group 2014-07-16 /pmc/articles/PMC4100015/ /pubmed/25027550 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep05699 Text en Copyright © 2014, Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder in order to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
spellingShingle Article
Zhang, Xiaoming
Zhao, Mingwen
Strain-induced phase transition and electron spin-polarization in graphene spirals
title Strain-induced phase transition and electron spin-polarization in graphene spirals
title_full Strain-induced phase transition and electron spin-polarization in graphene spirals
title_fullStr Strain-induced phase transition and electron spin-polarization in graphene spirals
title_full_unstemmed Strain-induced phase transition and electron spin-polarization in graphene spirals
title_short Strain-induced phase transition and electron spin-polarization in graphene spirals
title_sort strain-induced phase transition and electron spin-polarization in graphene spirals
topic Article
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4100015/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25027550
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep05699
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