Researchers from IMDEA Nanociencia, Autonomous University of Madrid and INFN recently announced a breakthrough in the engineering of graphene - they found a way to open a bandgap in the material, that allows the flow of electricity in graphene to be controlled - an essential step for advanced technological applications.
The achievement is based on the controlled intercalation of tellurium (Te) atoms between layers of graphene deposited on an iridium base. Using spectroscopy, microscopy and electron diffraction techniques, the researchers observed that tellurium arranges itself into two different structures, depending on the amount used. Beyond this structure, the modified graphene exhibits an energy gap of up to 240 millielectron volts at room temperature, something the says was never before observed in a stable and adjustable form.
The researchers stated that this new configuration not only allows the flow of electricity in graphene to be controlled, but also enhances its quantum properties related to electron spin. The study shows that electrons behave as if they all had the same type of spin according to their direction of propagation, a behavior known as the quantum spin Hall effect. This is key to future spintronics, a technology that makes use of the spin property of electrons to achieve faster and more efficient devices than those manufactured with conventional electronics.
In this work, the team demonstrated that it is possible to design hybrid materials from graphene that combine electronic control and advanced quantum properties. If this structure can be replicated on insulating materials, this discovery could pave the way for a new generation of more efficient, faster and more compact electronic and quantum devices.
