Activities of the project

The project is structured into two stages, with specific aims:

1) identification of the most promising VdWDs in terms of thermoelectricity and charge-to-spin conversion, by combined theoretical predictions and experimental measurements;

Selection of the compositions of most promising VdWDs for the main objective;
Mechanical exfoliation and transfer of VdWD flakes;
Characterization of structural, electric, and thermoelectric properties of samples;
Measurement of charge to spin conversion;
Development of a theoretical framework to evaluate band structure and charge and spin transport properties of VdWDs.

2) design, fabrication and demonstration of operation of spin polarized generators based on non magnetic VdWDs, charged by heat, and final evaluation of their application potential.

Design, realization and demonstration of operation of caloritronics spin generator devices;
Evaluation of the edge of improvement, scalability and assessment of application potential.

The scientific activity of the project is articulated in 5 different workpackages:

WP1: VdWD sample fabrication and physical characterization
WP2: Characterization of electric, thermoelectric properties and of spin transport of VdWD samples
WP3: Design, fabrication and demonstration of operation of spin generators charged by heat
WP4: Theoretical calculations
WP5: Management, dissemination, training and exploitation

Objectives of the project

The main goal of this project is demonstrating the feasibility and assessing the application potential of spin polarized generators charged by heat, based on non magnetic VdWDs.

This final objective will be obtained via successive intermediate objectives:

A: identify the most promising VdWD compositions which simultaneously exhibit good thermoelectric properties (high PF values) and high charge-to-spin conversion efficiency (high SO coupling), with combined experimental and theoretical approaches;

B: design and fabricate a spin polarized generator charged by heat, based on VdWDs, and demonstrate its operation by integrating it with spin valves or platinum electrodes as probes of spin polarization;

C: evaluate the edge of improvement of the performance of the heat-fed VdWD spin polarized generators, their scalability and their application potential.