Proximity-Induced Electronic and Magnetic Effects in Phthalocyanine/Graphene/h-BN Heterostructures

POSTER

Abstract

Graphene is an ideal building block of complex heterostructures. Normally, in proximity to molecular thin films its mobility is compromised. However, our recent results show that graphene in proximity to a molecular thin film of Copper Phthalocyanine (CuPc) preserves its mobility while transferring an important amount of electrons to CuPc (~10^12/cm^2). Additionally, we have found that weak localization in bilayer graphene is restored by the presence of the CuPc molecules.

Our heterostructures are fabricated by transferring graphene on hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and depositing through thermal evaporation of a phthalocyanine thin film. We plan to perform experiments using Manganese Phthalocyanine (MnPc), a similar molecule which has a higher magnetic moment than CuPc and an unpaired electron of S=3/2. MnPc is one of the few Pcs to develop long range magnetic order at low temperatures. We expect to see in electronic transport experiments on a MnPc / graphene / h-BN heterostructure signature of the proximity effects with a ferromagnetic molecular thin film, measured in the quantum coherence regime.

*The primary funding for this work was provided by the U.S.Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic EnergySciences under contract DE-SC0018154 for electronictransport measurements, data analysis, sample fabrication andRaman characterization. The deposition of the molecular thinfilm was funded by the Cal. State. Long Beach and the OhioState University Partnership for Education and Research inTopological Materials, a National Science Foundation PREM,under Grant No. 2425133. 4D-STEM measurements werepossible thanks to BioPACIFIC, an NSF Materials InnovationPlatform (DMR-1933487).

Publication: Anise Mansour, et. al., "Restoration of weak localization in bilayer graphene by a molecular thin film", submitted August 2025 to Physical Review Materials

Presenters

  • Eric Corona-Oceguera

    • California State University Long Beach

Authors

  • Eric Corona-Oceguera

    • California State University Long Beach

  • Anise E Mansour

    • California State University, Long Beach

  • Deanna Diaz

    • California State University Long Beach

  • Movindu Kawshan Dissanayake Dissanayake Mudiyanselage

    • California State University, Long Beach

  • Erin Henkhaus

    • California State University, Long Beach

  • Jungyoun Cho

    • University of California, Los Angeles

  • Vinh Tran

    • California State University, Long Beach

  • Francisco Ramirez

    • California State University, Long Beach

  • Joshua Ariel Luna

    • California State University, Long Beach

  • Kenta Kodama

    • California State University, Long Beach

  • Yueyun Chen

    • University of California, Los Angeles

  • Ho L Chan

    • University of California, Los Angeles

  • Jacob Weber

    • California State University Long Beach

  • Blake Koford

    • Auburn University

  • Maya H Martinez

    • California State University, Long Beach

  • Kenji Watanabe

    • National Institute for Materials Science

  • Takashi Taniguchi

    • National Institute for Materials Science

  • Matthew H Mecklenburg

    • University of California, Los Angeles

  • Thomas Gredig

    • California State University, Long Beach

  • Claudia Ojeda-Aristizabal

    • California State University, Long Beach