Perspectives of spin-valley locking devices

Abstract

Valleytronics is an emerging field of research which utilizes the valley degree of freedom to encode information. However, it is technically nontrivial to produce a stable valley polarization and to achieve efficient control and manipulation of valleys. Spin–valley locking refers to the coupling between spin and valley degrees of freedom in the materials with large spin–orbit coupling (SOC) and enables the manipulation of valleys indirectly through controlling spins. Here, we review the recent advances in spin–valley locking physics and outline possible device implications. In particular, we focus on the spin–valley locking induced by SOC and external electric field in certain two-dimensional materials with inversion symmetry and demonstrate the intriguing switchable valley–spin polarization, which can be utilized to design the promising electronic devices, namely, valley-spin valves and logic gates.