Illustration of zigzag graphene nanoribbon monolayer

Zigzag graphene nanoribbons’ surface state hints at spin-polarized channels’ potential practical applications

An international team of researchers confirmed that epitaxial zigzag graphene nanoribbons grown on mesa-structured silicon carbide form protected spin-polarized transport channels at room temperature with very weak spin–orbit interaction. They discovered that while the zigzag graphene nanoribbon monolayer sank almost completely into a silicon carbide facet, its lower edge dissolved and mixed with the silicon