Pure spin current generation in monolayer graphene by quantum pumping

We study a method to generate pure spin current in monolayer graphene over a wide range of Fermi energy by adiabatic quantum pumping. The device consists of three gate electrodes and two ferromagnetic strips, which induce a spin-splitting in the graphene through the proximity effect. A pure spin current is generated by applying two periodic oscillating gate voltages. We find that the pumped pure spin current is a sensitive oscillatory function of the Fermi energy. Large spin currents can be found at Fermi energies where there are FabryPerot resonances in the barriers. Furthermore, we analyze the effects of the parameters of the system on the pumped currents. Our predicted pumped spin current can be of the order of 100nA which is measurable using the current technology. The proposed method is useful in the realization of graphene spintronic devices. © 2012 IOP Publishing Ltd.