Overview
The « 2D spintronics » team deals with spin dependent phenomena in two important classes of materials: Si and Ge which are the materials of today’s microelectronics and transition metal dichalcogenides which are emerging 2D materials with exceptional optical and spin-orbit properties. We are studying model systems grown by molecular beam epitaxy and their spin properties.
Research topics
Magnetism induced by manganese doping in germanium

(2005-present). Manganese doped germanium films grown by molecular beam epitaxy undergo a nanospinodal decomposition: the system spontaneously decompose into Mn-rich areas like nanocolumns. Our research focuses on the atomic, electronic structure and magnetic properties of these nanosized Mn-rich areas. We also investigate their coupling with charge carriers to induce novel magneto-transport properties.
Spin injection in silicon and germanium

(2011-present). The original goal of this topic is to build the spin field-effect-transistor (FET) made of silicon and germanium. For this purpose, we study the microscopic mechanism of electrical spin injection in Si and Ge using three-terminal devices and lateral spin valves. In particular, we have investigated the influence of interface states in the mechanism of spin injection from a magnetic tunnel junction into Si and Ge. However the missing ingredient to build the spin-FET is a sizeable spin-orbit coupling to manipulate the spin state by electric fields.
Spin-orbit effects in silicon and germanium

(2013-present). Si and Ge exhibit low bulk spin-orbit coupling and we take advantage of metal/Si and metal/Ge interfaces to create a large Rashba spin-orbit coupling to manipulate the electron spin state. Moreover, the same Rashba spin-orbit interaction can be used to generate and detect spin currents in silicon or germanium by spin-to-charge interconversion. Another class of materials we use for spin-to-charge interconversion are topological insulators like the alpha phase of tin. In these materials, spin-to-charge conversion occurs at the surface or interface: by growing these materials onto Si or Ge we aim at transferring the spin-to-charge interconversion into the semiconductor.
Van der Waals epitaxy of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) for spintronics

(2015-present). The goal of this topic is the growth of single crystalline TMDs over large areas (typically cm2) for both the study of spin dependent phenomena like spin valleytronics and for the development of new 2D spintronic devices. For this purpose, we use single crystalline substrates and the van der Waals epitaxy in a molecular beam epitaxy machine. Our efforts then focus on electrical and magnetic doping as well as on the growth of heterostructures.
The team
Former members
Post-docs
- Minh-Tuan DAU (2016-2017)
PhD
- Fabien RORTAIS (2013-2016)
Internships
- Takeo KOIKE (Sept.-Nov. 2017)
Projects
- ANR MAGICVALLEY (2018-2021)
- ANR GEMO (2008-2010)
- RTRA IMAGE (2009-2011)
- ANR SiGeSPIN (2014-2017)
- ANR MoS2ValleyControl (2015-2017)
- ANR TOP-RISE (2017-2020)
- Projet Phare CEA DRF-DRT 2D Factory (2015-2019)
- Projet CARNOT H2D3D (2017-2019)
Partners
- INAC/PHELIQS, MEM, SYMMES, Grenoble, France
- CEA LETI, LITEN, Grenoble, France
- Unité Mixte de Physique CNRS-THALES, Palaiseau, France
- Institut NEEL, Grenoble, France
- Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany
- INSA, Toulouse, France
- IJL, Nancy, France
- LNCMI, Toulouse, France
Recent news
- PEPR Electronics – Priority Programs and Equipment for Research (July 29th, 2022)
SPINTEC involved in the PEPR electronics recently funded by the French government in the framework of the national France 2030 strategy On July 12, 2022, the President of the Republic presented in Crolles the ... - PEPR SPIN – Priority Programs and Equipment for Exploratory Research (July 29th, 2022)
France is investing more than 38M€ in Spintronics thanks to the PEPR-SPIN exploratory program! SPIN is among the 13 new exploratory programs winners of the second wave of calls for projects Priority Programs and ... - MNEMOSYN – FLAG-ERA Graphene Basic Research project (July 04th, 2022)
MNEMOSYN stands for « 2D MagNEtic meMOries: Scalable growth and hYbrid electrical operatioN ». It is 36-months-long FLAG-ERA Graphene Basic Research project. MNEMOSYN will develop and optimize techniques to grow large-scale 2D magnets, co-integrated with strong ... - Large-scale epitaxy of the van der Waals room-temperature ferromagnet Fe5GeTe2 (April 21st, 2022)
Van der Waals (vdW) layered magnets are promising materials to develop ultracompact and multifunctional spintronics devices. However, most of them are magnetic only at low temperature and are almost exclusively studied in the form of ... - Post-doctoral positions – ANR project ELMAX (September 23rd, 2021)
In the frame of the French national ANR project ELMAX, Spintec laboratory is opening a postdoctoral researcher position. The candidate will work on the magnetism of FexGeTe2 2D ferromagnets grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The ...
Publications
[ All | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 ]
For the full list of publications See the personal webpage of Matthieu JAMET, Alain MARTY and Céline VERGNAUD.