Beyond Charge Transport: Spin and Heat Currents in 2D Crystals

Heat engines provide more than 90% of the energy used in the world, producing the electricity generated by power plants and powering transportation. Thermoelectrics is based on the same thermodynamic principles that govern heat engines, except it uses electrons as its working fluid, rather than steam or air. It is a field that lies at the interface of thermal science and electronics, and has drastically progressed thanks to nanotechnology. Furthermore, spin electronics (spintronics) is an emergent field that exploits the intrinsic angular momentum of the electron, besides its charge traditionally used in modern electronics. It lies at an interface of the traditional fields of magnetism and electronics and becomes accessible only via nanotechnology.

Spin as an additional degree of freedom would provide enhanced functionality to electronics by enabling re-programmable circuits and low power 'green' electronics, thermoelectric technology is currently used in generators and coolers, while graphene is currently explored for its huge application potential. In this project we will explore spintronics (Nobel Prize in Physics 2007) and thermoelectrics in devices based on the remarkable one-atom-thick material graphene, the first truly two-dimensional material discovered in Manchester (Nobel Prize in Physics 2010). In particular, we will study '2D sandwiches', heterostructures where 2D materials interact purely via van der Waals forces, either to enhance their electronic properties or to introduce novel effects. The successful applicant will have access to state-of-the-art cleanroom facilities and instrumentation.