Integrating spin-based technologies with atomically controlled van der Waals interfaces

Abstract: As the feature sizes of electronic devices continue to shrink, new technologies—in particular spintronics and derived interfacial architectures—become increasingly pivotal. In this context, two-dimensional van der Waals materials and their interfaces are particularly attractive, relying on their ultimate atomic thicknesses and exceptional spin-related properties. This review provides a critical evaluation on the state-of-the-art of van der Waals interfaces and projected technological applications in spintronics, highlights major challenges and a viable solution—an all-in-situ growth and characterization strategy, and finally identifies several emerging spin-based technologies that might significantly benefit from the versatile van der Waals interfaces enabled by the strategy.