Magnetic properties of graphene

Abstract Magnetism discovered in the graphene-based systems offers unique opportunities for their spintronics applications. Graphene is intrinsically nonmagnetic as all the outer electrons in carbon hexatomic rings are perfectly paired to take shape in σ- and π-bonds. All the efforts to make graphene magnetic are carried out to break the symmetric bonds to release the unpaired electrons and generate net spins. When the periodic spins on the graphene plane are close enough to interact with each other, magnetic cluster or magnetic ordering comes into existence. In the past decade, such theoretical predictions have been verified by two persuasive experimental results: (1) introducing point defects can undoubtedly and effectively induce the magnetic moments in graphene, and (2) the spins distributed at the different sites on the graphene basal plane can couple (anti)ferromagnetically to form spin clusters. Although the precise control of the distribution of abundant spins in graphene is still tremendously challenging, the spintronics application of graphene-based materials is promising.