Two-dimensional spintronics for low-power electronics

The scaling of complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) technology is increasingly challenging, but demand for low-power data storage and processing continues to grow. The ability to generate, transport and manipulate spin signals in two-dimensional (2D) materials suggests that they could provide a suitable platform to build beyond-CMOS spintronic devices. Here we review the development of 2D spintronics and explore its potential to deliver devices and circuits for low-power electronic applications. We examine the elementary spintronic functionalities and how they can be used to build electronic devices and circuits. We also consider the challenges that must be addressed to deliver practical memory and logic devices. This Review Article examines the development of two-dimensional spintronics for low-power electronics, exploring potential devices and circuits, as well the challenges that exist in delivering practical applications.