Van der Waals spin valves

Abstract

We propose spin valves where a 2D non-magnetic conductor is intercalated between two ferromagnetic insulating layers. In this setup, the relative orientation of the magnetizations of the insulating layers can have a strong impact on the in-plane conductivity of the 2D conductor. We first show this for a graphene bilayer, described with a tight-binding model, placed between two ferromagnetic insulators. In the anti-parallel configuration, a band gap opens at the Dirac point, whereas in the parallel configuration, the graphene bilayer remains conducting. We then compute the electronic structure of graphene bilayer placed between two monolayers of the ferromagnetic insulator CrI$_3$, using density functional theory. Consistent with the model, we find that a gap opens at the Dirac point only in the antiparallel configuration.