TY  - JOUR
AU  - Krivenkov, M.
AU  - Golias, E.
AU  - Marchenko, D.
AU  - Sánchez-Barriga, J.
AU  - Bihlmayer, G.
AU  - Rader, O.
AU  - Varykhalov, A.
TI  - Nanostructural origin of giant Rashba effect in intercalated graphene
JO  - 2D Materials
VL  - 4
IS  - 3
SN  - 2053-1583
CY  - Bristol
PB  - IOP Publ.
M1  - FZJ-2017-06570
SP  - 035010
PY  - 2017
AB  - To enhance the spin–orbit interaction in graphene by a proximity effect without compromising the quasi-free-standing dispersion of the Dirac cones means balancing the opposing demands for strong and weak graphene–substrate interaction. So far, only the intercalation of Au under graphene/Ni(1 1 1) has proven successful, which was unexpected since graphene prefers a large separation (~$3.3~{\mathring{\rm A}}$ ) from a Au monolayer in equilibrium. Here, we investigate this system and find the solution in a nanoscale effect. We reveal that the Au largely intercalates as nanoclusters. Our density functional theory calculations show that the graphene is periodically stapled to the Ni substrate, and this attraction presses graphene and Au nanoclusters together. This, in turn, causes a Rashba effect of the giant magnitude observed in experiment. Our findings show that nanopatterning of the substrate can be efficiently used for engineering of spin–orbit effects in graphene.
LB  - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
UR  - <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000406018600001
DO  - DOI:10.1088/2053-1583/aa7ad8
UR  - https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/837710
ER  -