Graphene Quantum Dot Islands for Spin Electronics – G-ISLAND

G-ISLAND is a multidisciplinary project at the interface between chemistry, molecular/0D electronics and spintronics, targeting spin transport in nano-graphenes. Beyond acclaimed MRAM (magnetic memories) circuits, spintronics is foreseen as a strong post-CMOS contender. In this context, G-ISLAND aims at unlocking the exploration of graphene quantum dots (GQD) as a new spin platform material for spintronics. Indeed, new properties and functionalities are expected to emerge for graphene at nanoscales, with long spin lifetimes in GQD resulting in potentially strong coherent spin accumulation. However, to date, despite their huge potential, single-electron electronics and spintronics of GQD remain a vision riddled with major challenges baring advances: no spin transport has ever been reported in isolated GQD. This is where G-ISLAND is positioned, exploiting the unique strengths available to the consortium to enable this vision. Departing from lateral approaches of the literature, we will leverage on an original vertical tunnel contact geometry allowing at last to probe transport over a large range of GQD sizes and configurations (atomical tailoring by chemical synthesis), combined to the fundamental support of STM/STS/Spin-Polarized-STM as well as advanced optical characterizations of novel GQD configurations. The proposed synergy is set to tackle for the first time the long- standing challenge of developing a basic understanding of GQD integration in functional electronic and spintronic devices for the exploration of their properties. It will make possible to exhibit functionalities specific to GQD, including single electron and quantum transport regimes. New generation spintronics nanodevices will be developed, targeting spin injection, transport and accumulations in GQD reaching the realm of giant spin-lifetime regimes (beyond 100ns).