Electronic Structure and Magnetic Properties of Graphene/Ni₃Mn/Ni(111) Trilayer

Abstract

Experimental and theoretical studies of manganese deposition on graphene/Ni(111) shows that a thin ferromagnetic Ni 3 Mn layer, which is protected by the graphene overlayer, is formed upon Mn intercalation. The electronic bands of graphene are affected by Ni 3 Mn interlayer formation through a slight reduction of n-type doping compared to graphene/Ni(111) and a suppression of the interface states characteristic of graphene/Ni(111). Our DFT-based theoretical analysis of interface geometric, electronic, and magnetic structure gives strong support to our interpretation of the experimental scanning tunneling microscopy, low energy electron diffraction, and photoemission results, and shows that the magnetic properties of graphene on Ni(111) are strongly influenced by Ni 3 Mn formation.This document is the unedited author's version of a Submitted Work that was subsequently accepted for publication in J. Phys.

Electronic and Magnetic Properties of the Graphene/Y/Co(0001) Interfaces: Insights from the Density Functional Theory Analysis

“… 29 − 31 Moreover, the insertion of other magnetic atoms with open d-shells into the gr/metal interface might lead to the formation of ordered gr/FM-alloy systems with interesting properties. 32 − 35 Therefore, the studies of such gr/FM hybrid systems have a huge implications from both the basic scientific and technological standpoints.…”

“…The electronic structure of the gr/FM interface can be further modified via intercalation of different species with the aim to prepare different graphene-based heterostructures. Here, e.g., the intercalation of Fe leads to an increase of the induced magnetic moment in graphene; , the intercalation of noble metals and halogens decouples graphene from the FM material with a controllable modification of the graphene band structure around the Dirac point. − The intercalation of oxygen in gr/Ni and gr/Co interfaces leads to the formation of thin layers of antiferromagnetic (AFM) metal oxides and the resulting epitaxial graphene-protected AFM/FM systems, which can be used in future spintronics applications. − Moreover, the insertion of other magnetic atoms with open d-shells into the gr/metal interface might lead to the formation of ordered gr/FM-alloy systems with interesting properties. − Therefore, the studies of such gr/FM hybrid systems have a huge implications from both the basic scientific and technological standpoints.…”

Intercalation of Mn in graphene/Cu(111) interface: insights to the electronic and magnetic properties from theory

“…It is well known that the intercalation between graphene and metallic substrates can strongly affects the properties of the graphene-metal interface. There are several possible results of this process: (1) The intercalated species may decouple graphene from strongly interacting substrates, such as in the case of graphene/Al/Ni(111), 27,28 graphene/Au/Ni(111) 29 and graphene/Cu/Ni(111); 30 (2) Such intercalated layers lead to the change the carrier concentration in graphene, and even change the carrier type (from holes to electrons) such as in the case of Cu intercalation in graphene/Ir(111); 31 (3) Intercalated metals may also enhance the magnetic coupling between a ferromagnetic substrate and graphene, such as graphene/Fe/Ni(111) 32 and graphene/Ni 3 Mn/Ni(111), 33 which improves the possible spinfiltering properties of graphene; (4) The intercalated layer in itself may bring new properties to graphene, such as in the case of intercalated lithium, where superconductivity in graphene has been predicted to occur. 34 Considering that graphene can be synthesized on Cu foil and the electronic properties of weakly-bonded graphene on Cu(111) has been well studied, the intercalation of Mn atoms (which possess the high magnetic moment due to the half-filled d-shell, Mn 3d 5 ) in the graphene/Cu(111) system could be an interesting way to tailor the electronic and magnetic properties of graphene.…”