Topological insulators (TI) have gained much interest in the field of spintronics for the generation of pure spin currents. Indeed, three-dimensional TIs are predicted to host exotic properties like topologically protected surface states (TSS), which show Dirac-like band dispersion and spin-momentum locking [1]. One of the main strategies is to take advantages of the spin polarization of the TSSs to manipulate the magnetization of an adjacent ferromagnetic thin film (FM) using the spin-orbit torque (SOT) mechanism [2]. In the past few years, the community attempted to replace the traditional heavy metals by a TI in order to enhance the SOT efficiency with limited success. It now appears that the interface sharpness and the high chemical affinity between Bi-based TIs and classical 3d FMs is a major hurdle to reach the predicted breakthrough in magnetization switching power-efficiency [3]. The emergence of ferromagnetism in two dimensions in 2017, which started a new field in condensed matter physics, could bring a solution to this issue.The van der Waals (vdW) nature of the interaction between the TI and the 2D-FM should limit chemical reactions, interface intermixing and hybridization of state between the two layers.
When graphene is in proximity to a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC), it acquires an enhanced spin-orbit interaction (SOI). Here, I will discuss the relevant consequences of this unique type of SOI for spin manipulation in graphene-TMDC heterostructures. Firstly, I will present our recent experiments which demonstrate how the spin dynamics in graphene is strongly modified by the proximity to a TMDC. The results show that the spin lifetime depends on the spin orientation, and it is larger for spins pointing out of the graphene’s plane compared with the spins pointing in-plane. I will further present an unprecedented electric-field tunability of such anisotropic features in graphene-WS2 heterostructures. Finally, I will demonstrate that the enhanced SOI leads to spin-charge interconversion in graphene. By using spin precession measurements, we can separate the contributions of the spin Hall and the spin galvanic effects.
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