Graphene Nanoribbon Spin-Photodetector

Generating highly spin-polarized current is one of the main quests in spintronics. The authors design and theoretically benchmark a spin-photovoltaic device based on the intrinsic edge magnetism of a graphene nanoribbon, which creates a spin-polarized current when light is absorbed. The spin photocurrent can be suitably engineered by changing the gate voltage and scale parameters, and in principle a fully polarized current can be attained. This work shows the way to improved design and fabrication of hybrid optoelectronic-spintronic devices.