Graphene has many fantastic properties that could change the course of human civilization. It’s chemically stable, highly conductive, and incredibly strong. One thing it is not, however, is magnetic. This is one of the issues cited by the likes of IBM, which has tried to dampen expectations for a future of super-efficient microprocessors built on graphene. That might not be a problem much longer, though. Scientists from the University of California, Riverside have successfully created graphene that has magnetic properties.
To make this happen, the team started with a sheet of regular (but still awesome) non-magnetic graphene. The graphene was placed on a layer of magnetic yttrium iron garnet, which actually transferred its magnetic properties to the graphene without disrupting its structure or other properties. Most magnetic substances interfere with graphene’s ability to conduct electricity, but yttrium iron garnet is also an electric insulator. That meant it was unlikely to negatively affect the graphene’s electron transport properties.
Source:
http://www.extremetech.com/electronics/198563-researchers-make-graphene-magnetic-clearing-the-way-for-faster-everything
