Volume 21, Issue 24 2503192
Research Article

Enhanced Spin Relaxation Time in a 2D/1D Van Der Waals Hybrid Heterostructure

Garen Avedissian

Corresponding Author

Garen Avedissian

CIC nanoGUNE BRTA, Donostia-San Sebastian, Basque Country, 20018 Spain

E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

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Eoin Dolan

Eoin Dolan

CIC nanoGUNE BRTA, Donostia-San Sebastian, Basque Country, 20018 Spain

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Beatriz Martín-García

Beatriz Martín-García

CIC nanoGUNE BRTA, Donostia-San Sebastian, Basque Country, 20018 Spain

IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Basque Country, 48009 Spain

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Marco Gobbi

Marco Gobbi

CIC nanoGUNE BRTA, Donostia-San Sebastian, Basque Country, 20018 Spain

IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Basque Country, 48009 Spain

Centro de Física de Materiales (CSIC-UPV/EHU) and Materials Physics Center (MPC), Donostia-San Sebastian, Basque Country, 20018 Spain

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Fèlix Casanova

Fèlix Casanova

CIC nanoGUNE BRTA, Donostia-San Sebastian, Basque Country, 20018 Spain

IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Basque Country, 48009 Spain

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Luis E. Hueso

Corresponding Author

Luis E. Hueso

CIC nanoGUNE BRTA, Donostia-San Sebastian, Basque Country, 20018 Spain

IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Basque Country, 48009 Spain

E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

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First published: 27 April 2025

Abstract

The key attraction of graphene in spintronics arises from its high electronic mobility and low intrinsic spin-orbit coupling (SOC), which enable long spin relaxation times. However, the weak SOC limits the ability to control spin currents within graphene. A promising strategy for enhancing the spin functionalities of graphene is to introduce proximity effects with other materials. In this context, molecular compounds show great potential for tuning the spin properties of graphene. Here, a novel fabrication methodology is presented that integrates molecular compounds with graphene-based spintronic nanodevices using stencil hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) masks, allowing us to investigate the resulting spin-related effects. First, our non-destructive fabrication technique, confirmed by micro-Raman spectroscopy, preserves the integrity of the molecular compound. Moreover, by combining experimental Hanle precession with a 3D spin diffusion model, it is demonstrated that fullerene (C60) molecules enhance the spin relaxation time of the graphene. The established fabrication methodology can be further expanded to integrate graphene with exotic molecular compounds, such as photochromic and spin cross-over molecules, enabling the exploration of proximity-induced spin phenomena and paving the way for spin-based multifunctional nanodevices.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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