Spin-polarized electronic current induced by sublattice engineering of graphene sheets with boron/nitrogen

Abstract

We show that spin-polarized electron transport can be achieved by the substitutional doping of only one sublattice of graphene by nitrogen or boron atoms. The bipartite character via two sublattices remains persistent in the electronic structures of graphene doped with low concentrations of nitrogens (borons). The delocalized spin-densities induced by the unpaired electrons at substitutional sites permeate only through the sublattice where the nitrogen (boron) atoms belong. For interacting nitrogen (boron) atoms located along the "zigzag" direction and in the same sublattice, the ferromagnetic spin-ordering is favorable, and substitution-induced localized impurity states selectively disturb the spin-polarized π orbital of that same sublattice. The bipartite character of graphene lattice governs the unique properties of two-dimensional hybrid graphene-boron nitride nanostructures. © 2013 American Physical Society.