Transition metal partially supported graphene: Magnetism and oscillatory electrostatic potentials

Abstract

Using first-principles calculations, we show that Mn and Cr layers under graphene exhibit almost zero magnetic moment due to anti-ferromagnetic order, while ferromagnetic coupling in Fe, Co, and Ni leads to large magnetic moment. Transition metal partially supported graphene, with a mixture of supported and pristine areas, exhibits an oscillatory electrostatic potential, thus alternating the electric field across the supported and pristine areas. Such an effect can be utilized to control mass transport and nanostructure self-organization on graphene at the atomic level.