2D Materials: Adatom-decorated graphene for spintronic applications, Department of Physics, University of York

Project description:
Adatom-decorated graphene is an exciting new subfield in the broader arena of 2D materials that specifically seeks to make breakthroughs in the area of graphene spintronics. Spin-based transistors are one of the most eagerly pursued goals of spintronics research yet their realisation awaits emergent nanomaterials with suitable properties. Graphene is one of the most promising candidates however it is clear that for the next stage of device development, a much deeper understanding of the interplay between fundamental material properties and device performance is required. The aim of this project is to provide this understanding by investigating how the electronic, chemical, and magnetic properties of graphene can be tailored through the addition of extra atoms (adatoms) such as fluorine at specific locations. Achieving this goal will rely on a strong overlap of theory and experiment and this will be at the heart of the PhD project. The student will initially investigate various methods of graphene fabrication including mechanical exfoliation and chemical-vapour deposition. A variety of advanced materials characterisation techniques will be used to probe the properties of graphene and relate these to those predicted by theoretical calculations based on the latest effective tight-binding models. Experimental techniques will focus on scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy and electron spectroscopy including the use of a spin-polarised beam of metastable helium atoms, an approach unique to York. Chemical modification of the graphene will then be investigated by doping the material with various adatoms such as fluorine, which has been shown to induce spin-orbit coupling presenting a viable pathway to spintronic applications.