Nanomagnetism on Graphene in Epitaxy on Metals – NMGEM

The project proposes to unravel and take benefit of the remarkable properties of a novel system, graphene in epitaxy on metals (GEM). This system will be considered in the context of nanomagnetism, with the ambition to renew the field at the fundamental level. For the first time, graphene will serve, first as one of the key building blocks for the triggered (nano)systems [GEM with magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) on top, GEM made of a magnetic metallic substrate], and second as novel medium for manipulating nanomagnetic phenomena.

The project will rely on a wide spectrum of techniques from experiment to theory, some which relevance is already acknowledged along with graphene research, some others that were not yet used in this field. Surface science techniques will be accordingly used ex situ and in situ including surface sensitive X-ray probes at synchrotron sources; the theory effort will involve ab initio spin polarized calculations for systems up to thousand atoms and molecular dynamics for larger systems. The work is planned in the frame of conserted and joint theory/experiment effort.

The consortium constructed for these purposes gathers a set of worldwide experts in their fields, some being the only ones in France. Four academic partners are involved. The Institut Néel (coordinator) will bring its expertise in growth of epitaxial graphene, magnetic nanostructures, and first principle calculations. The Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée et des Nanostructures (LPMCN) will offer its expertises in magnetic nanostructures too, and in the electronic and structural characterizations for graphene and the clusters. The Institut Nanosciences et Cryogénie (CEA-INAC) will share its deep experience at synchrotron light sources concerning X-ray scattering techniques, as well as its expertise in first-principle simulations of magnetic properties. The Laboratoire de Spectrométrie Ionique et Moléculaire (LASIM) will provide its know-how in atomistic modelling and molecular dynamics for studying the growth and interaction of the NPs with graphene and GEM.

The project will first aim at controlling and understanding the preparation, structure, and interaction in the GEM-magnetic NPs system. This holds an intrinsic high impact as the demonstration of a tunable and versatile GEM nanotemplates onto which highly ordered NPs lattices, either dense or dilute, can be prepared, opens up novel perspective for nanomagnetism, and beyond the scope of the project, for nanocatalysis or nano-optics for instance. The second objective will be the investigation of nanomagnetism thanks to this system. To this respect, much lower disorder in the GEM templates, than in systems reported so far in literature, should allow to develop finer descriptions of nanomagnetism and to address effects that are extremely disorder-sensitive, therefore not observed yet at nanoscale, such as magnetic collective states in NP assemblies. To this respect also, thanks to the presence of graphene, new effects are proposed at the graphene/magnetic interfaces by taking benefit of the widely tunable electronic charge density in graphene.