Graphene spin valve devices

Graphene-a single atomic layer of graphite-is a recently found two-dimensional (2-D) form of carbon, which exhibits high crystal quality and ballistic electron transport at room temperature. Soft magnetic NiFe electrodes have been used to inject polarized spins into graphene, and a 10% change in resistance has been observed as the electrodes switch from the parallel to the antiparallel state. This coupled with the fact that a field-effect electrode can modulate the conductivity of these graphene films makes them exciting potential candidates for spin electronic devices.