Spin filtering and magneto-resistive effect at the graphene/h-BN ribbon interface

Effect of substitutional defects on resonant tunneling diodes based on armchair graphene and boron nitride nanoribbons lateral heterojunctions

A nanometer-scaled resonant tunneling diode based on lateral heterojunctions of armchair graphene and boron nitride nanoribbons, exhibiting negative differential resistance is proposed. Low-bandgap armchair graphene nanoribbons and high-bandgap armchair boron nitride nanoribbons are used to design the well and the barrier region, respectively. The effect of all possible substitutional defects (including B_C, N_C, C_B, and C_N) at the interface of graphene and boron nitride nanoribbons on the negative differential resistance behavior of the proposed resonant tunneling diode is investigated. Transport simulations are carried out in the framework of tight-binding Hamiltonians and non-equilibrium Green's functions. The results show that a single substitutional defect at the interface of armchair graphene and boron nitride nanoribbons can dramatically affect the negative differential resistance behavior depending on its type and location in the structure.

Transport properties through hexagonal boron nitride clusters embedded in graphene nanoribbons

First-principles calculations are employed in the study of the electronic and quantum transport properties of hexagonally shaped boron nitride (h-BN) clusters embedded in either zigzag or armchair graphene nanoribbons. Chemical doping of the h-BN cluster was taken into consideration by using carbon atoms to replace either the boron (B27N24C3) or the nitrogen (B27N24C3) sites in the central ring. While the quantum conductance of the system with zigzag edges is found to be spin-dependent, it was observed that the system with an armchair edge requires an electron imbalance in order to show a spin-dependent conductance. Furthermore, the possibility of molecular adsorption onto these doped systems is studied. The effects of the attached molecules to the quantum conductance shows the potential of these hybrid systems for molecular sensing applications.

Spin-dependent electronic transport properties of zigzag silicon carbon nanoribbon

The zigzag SiC nanoribbon devices exhibit a variety of exotic physical properties such as spin filtering, current-limited, and oscillation effects.

Boron nitride nanotubes for spintronics

With the end of Moore's law in sight, researchers are in search of an alternative approach to manipulate information. Spintronics or spin-based electronics, which uses the spin state of electrons to store, process and communicate information, offers exciting opportunities to sustain the current growth in the information industry. For example, the discovery of the giant magneto resistance (GMR) effect, which provides the foundation behind modern high density data storage devices, is an important success story of spintronics; GMR-based sensors have wide applications, ranging from automotive industry to biology. In recent years, with the tremendous progress in nanotechnology, spintronics has crossed the boundary of conventional, all metallic, solid state multi-layered structures to reach a new frontier, where nanostructures provide a pathway for the spin-carriers. Different materials such as organic and inorganic nanostructures are explored for possible applications in spintronics. In this short review, we focus on the boron nitride nanotube (BNNT), which has recently been explored for possible applications in spintronics. Unlike many organic materials, BNNTs offer higher thermal stability and higher resistance to oxidation. It has been reported that the metal-free fluorinated BNNT exhibits long range ferromagnetic spin ordering, which is stable at a temperature much higher than room temperature. Due to their large band gap, BNNTs are also explored as a tunnel magneto resistance device. In addition, the F-BNNT has recently been predicted as an ideal spin-filter. The purpose of this review is to highlight these recent progresses so that a concerted effort by both experimentalists and theorists can be carried out in the future to realize the true potential of BNNT-based spintronics.

Tuning the electron transport properties of boron-nitride nanoribbons with electron and hole doping

C chain doped BN nanoribbons can be either metallic or semiconducting, depending on how the C chains are located.