Strong In-Plane Magnetization and Spin Polarization in (Co0.15Fe0.85)5GeTe2/Graphene van der Waals Heterostructure Spin-Valve at Room Temperature.

Van der Waals (vdW) magnets are promising, because of their tunable magnetic properties with doping or alloy composition, where the strength of magnetic interactions, their symmetry, and magnetic anisotropy can be tuned according to the desired application. However, so far, most of the vdW magnet-based spintronic devices have been limited to cryogenic temperatures with magnetic anisotropies favoring out-of-plane or canted orientation of the magnetization. Here, we report beyond room-temperature lateral spin-valve devices with strong in-plane magnetization and spin polarization of the vdW ferromagnet (Co0.15Fe0.85)5GeTe2 (CFGT) in heterostructures with graphene. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the magnitude of the anisotropy depends on the Co concentration and is caused by the substitution of Co in the outermost Fe layer. Magnetization measurements reveal the above room-temperature ferromagnetism in CFGT and clear remanence at room temperature. Heterostructures consisting of CFGT nanolayers and graphene were used to experimentally realize basic building blocks for spin valve devices, such as efficient spin injection and detection. Further analysis of spin transport and Hanle spin precession measurements reveals a strong in-plane magnetization with negative spin polarization at the interface with graphene, which is supported by the calculated spin-polarized density of states of CFGT. The in-plane magnetization of CFGT at room temperature proves its usefulness in graphene lateral spin-valve devices, thus revealing its potential application in spintronic technologies.

Thermally Driven Multilevel Non-Volatile Memory with Monolayer MoS2 for Brain-Inspired Artificial Learning.

The demands of modern electronic components require advanced computing platforms for efficient information processing to realize in-memory operations with a high density of data storage capabilities toward developing alternatives to von Neumann architectures. Herein, we demonstrate the multifunctionality of monolayer MoS2 memtransistors, which can be used as a high-geared intrinsic transistor at room temperature; however, at a high temperature (>350 K), they exhibit synaptic multilevel memory operations. The temperature-dependent memory mechanism is governed by interfacial physics, which solely depends on the gate field modulated ion dynamics and charge transfer at the MoS2/dielectric interface. We have proposed a non-volatile memory application using a single Field Effect Transistor (FET) device where thermal energy can be ventured to aid the memory functions with multilevel (3-bit) storage capabilities. Furthermore, our devices exhibit linear and symmetry in conductance weight updates when subjected to electrical potentiation and depression. This feature has enabled us to attain a high classification accuracy while training and testing the Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology datasets through artificial neural network simulation. This work paves the way toward reliable data processing and storage using 2D semiconductors with high-packing density arrays for brain-inspired artificial learning.

Graphene and Beyond: Recent Advances in Two-Dimensional Materials Synthesis, Properties, and Devices.

Since the isolation of graphene in 2004, two-dimensional (2D) materials research has rapidly evolved into an entire subdiscipline in the physical sciences with a wide range of emergent applications. The unique 2D structure offers an open canvas to tailor and functionalize 2D materials through layer number, defects, morphology, moiré pattern, strain, and other control knobs. Through this review, we aim to highlight the most recent discoveries in the following topics: theory-guided synthesis for enhanced control of 2D morphologies, quality, yield, as well as insights toward novel 2D materials; defect engineering to control and understand the role of various defects, including in situ and ex situ methods; and properties and applications that are related to moiré engineering, strain engineering, and artificial intelligence. Finally, we also provide our perspective on the challenges and opportunities in this fascinating field.

Challenges and opportunities in 2D heterostructures for electronic and optoelectronic devices.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and their heterojunctions are prospective materials for future electronics, optoelectronics, and quantum technologies. Assembling different 2D layers offers unique ways to control optical, electrical, thermal, magnetic, and topological phenomena. Controlled fabrications of electronic grade 2D heterojunctions are of paramount importance. Here, we enlist novel and scalable strategies to fabricate 2D vertical and lateral heterojunctions, consisting of semiconductors, metals, and/or semimetals. Critical issues that need to be addressed are the device-to-device variations, reliability, stability, and performances of 2D heterostructures in electronic and optoelectronic applications. Also, stacking order-dependent formation of moiré excitons in 2D heterostructures are emerging with exotic physics and new opportunities. Furthermore, the realization of 2D heterojunction-based novel devices, including excitonic and valleytronic transistors, demands more extensive research efforts for real-world applications. We also outline emergent phenomena in 2D heterojunctions central to nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, spintronics, and energy applications.

Electrically Controlled Spin Injection from Giant Rashba Spin-Orbit Conductor BiTeBr.

Ferromagnetic materials are the widely used source of spin-polarized electrons in spintronic devices, which are controlled by external magnetic fields or spin-transfer torque methods. However, with increasing demand for smaller and faster spintronic components utilization of spin-orbit phenomena provides promising alternatives. New materials with unique spin textures are highly desirable since all-electric creation and control of spin polarization is expected where the strength, as well as an arbitrary orientation of the polarization, can be defined without the use of a magnetic field. In this work, we use a novel spin-orbit crystal BiTeBr for this purpose. Because of its giant Rashba spin splitting, bulk spin polarization is created at room temperature by an electric current. Integrating BiTeBr crystal into graphene-based spin valve devices, we demonstrate for the first time that it acts as a current-controlled spin injector, opening new avenues for future spintronic applications in integrated circuits.

High-performance molybdenum disulfide field-effect transistors with spin tunnel contacts.

Molybdenum disulfide has recently emerged as a promising two-dimensional semiconducting material for nanoelectronic, optoelectronic, and spintronic applications. Here, we investigate the field-effect transistor behavior of MoS2 with ferromagnetic contacts to explore its potential for spintronics. In such devices, we elucidate that the presence of a large Schottky barrier resistance at the MoS2/ferromagnet interface is a major obstacle for the electrical spin injection and detection. We circumvent this problem by a reduction in the Schottky barrier height with the introduction of a thin TiO2 tunnel barrier between the ferromagnet and MoS2. This results in an enhancement of the transistor on-state current by 2 orders of magnitude and an increment in the field-effect mobility by a factor of 6. Our magnetoresistance calculation reveals that such integration of ferromagnetic tunnel contacts opens up the possibilities for MoS2-based spintronic devices.