CHIROSPIN Highly Defined Supramolecular Multi-Chromophore Systems for Advanced Optoelectronics

Dr. Miguel Angel Niño

Funding : Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Programa Retos de la Sociedad 2013-2016. MAT2014-59315-R

Duration: 2015 - 2017

36 months

CHIROSPIN aims to develop, probe and study the fundamental properties of organic spintronic systems based on chirality, and to study the interplay between magnetic anisotropy and chiral effects for technological applications. In particular, within a multidisciplanary experimental approach which includes technical developments, the project will investigate the chiral induced spin selectivity (CISS) property presented by adsorbed layers of some molecules, in order to produce spintronic devices, i.e., sensors, magnetic memories and spin valves.

CHIROSPIN project ia a collaboration between IMDEA Nanoscience and Alba Synchrotron bringing complementary expertises, in order to advance our understanding in a new multidisciplinar area, refered as Chiral Organic Spintronics. The research activity will cover different scientific issues, such as growth, electronic, magnetic, and transport characterization, for which it is necessary the combination of laboratory techniques and synchrotron radiation techniques. The production of highly polarized spin currents at room temperature is difficult in organic layers, but this limitation can be solved by using certain enantiomers of chiral molecules, as we have recently shown. When unpolarized electrons cross a thin film of a chiral layer, due to the CISS effect, there is a spin polarization with a definite anisotropy, parallel or perpendicular to the surface depending on the enantiomer type. In this project we study chiral organic-based spintronic systems, as a proof of principle, through the determination of both electronic, magnetic, and magnetoresistive properties. The identification of the key parameters controlling the magnetic and transport properties are of fundamental importance in the final performance of practical technological applications, and this will pave the way for the development of advanced high efficient spin-polarized current organic-based devices.