Spin-polarized transport in graphene nanoribbon superlattices

Abstract

By the Green's function method, we investigate spin transport properties of a zigzag graphene nanoribbon super-lattice (ZGNS) under a ferromagnetic insulator and edge effect. The exchange splitting induced by the ferromagnetic insulator eliminates the spin degeneracy, which leads to spin-polarized transport in structure. Spin-dependent minibands and minigaps are exhibited in the conductance profile near the Fermi energy. The location and width of the miniband are associated with the geometry of the ZGNS. In the optimal structure, the spin-up and spin-down minibands can be separated completely near the Fermi energy. Therefore, a wide, perfect spin polarization with clear stepwise pattern is observed, i.e., the perfect spin-polarized transport can be tuned from spin up to spin down by varying the electron energy.