Nanomechanical control of spin current flip using monovacancy graphene

Abstract

It has been shown recently that the magnetic state of single-atom vacancy in graphene can be manipulated reversibly by mechanical deformation. Here, we investigate the possibility to flip the spin current of a model graphene device using nanomechanical distortion. Extensive first-principles calculations show that spin polarized currents can be altered by applying a shear distortion. The magnetic transitions in the central device, which is associated with the reversal of spin polarization of the π band of the vacancy state, lead to current flip with a spin filtering efficiency up to 17% (and a maximum change by 24% upon distortion). Our result opens the possibility to control spin transport properties in graphene and has potential applications in spintronics such as spin valves and spin transistors.