Researchers have discovered a new property of graphene that could enable the creation of computer memory and processors that are considerably faster than current models, but use less energy.

The material has been found to maintain the spin of electrons for far longer than is possible with existing materials such as copper, meaning graphene could be used to create high-speed, low-powered spintronics-based electronics.

Spintronics, or spin transport electronics, is an emerging computer technology that involves using the quantum state of electrons – ie whether they have an ‘up’ spin or a ‘down’ spin – as an information carrier.

Conventional electronics use semiconductors that run on electric charges for this purpose, but this technology is set to reach its speed and size limits within a decade, so researchers are looking elsewhere to keep advancing the field.

The researchers, from Chalmers University of Technology, believe graphene shows considerable potential for the development of spintronics-based components because of its unique ability to maintain electron spin.

“In future spin-based components, it is expected that the electrons must be able to travel several tens of micrometers with their spins kept aligned,” explained Saroj Dash, research group leader at Chalmers University of Technology.

“Metals, such as aluminium or copper, do not have the capacity to handle this. Graphene appears to be the only possible material at the moment.”

However, the university was keen to stress that this is not about just replacing semiconductors with graphene, but represents a totally new approach to information storage and logical operations in computers.

“Graphene is a good conductor and has no band gaps,” explained Dash, referring to one of the main limiting factors in conventional semiconductors.

“But in spintronics there is no need for band gaps to switch between on and off, one and zero. This is controlled instead by the electron’s up or down spin orientations,” Saroj Dash explains.

The research has interesting repercussions for the production of graphene, as it overturns the assumption that low-grade graphene – the only form of graphene currently possible to produce in large sheets – is not suitable for electronics.

While the notion that higher quality graphene is better still rings true, the researchers found that with defect-rich CVD graphene, which is made using a process called chemical vapour deposition, they were still able to maintain electron spin.

“Our measurements show that the spin signal is preserved in graphene channels that are up to 16 micrometers long. The duration over which the spins stay aligned has been measured to be over a nanosecond,” explained Chalmers researcher Venkata Kamalakar, who is lead author of the study published today in the journal Nature Communications.

“This is promising because it suggests that the spin parameters can be further improved as we develop the method of manufacturing.