Graphene, a remarkable two-dimensional material, distinguishes itself in the magnetic behavior of its p-orbital electrons, contrasting sharply with the localized magnetic properties of d/f-orbital electrons found in traditional magnetic materials. This distinct characteristic paves a novel path for the exploration of pure carbon-based quantum magnetism. Zigzag graphene nanoribbons (zGNRs) exhibit exceptional magnetic electronic states near the Fermi level, making them highly promising for applications in spintronic devices. However, accurately detecting their magnetic properties through electrical transport methods poses significant challenges, primarily due to the instability caused by extremely short nanoribbon lengths and high chemical reactivity at their edges.

Recently, a collaborative team from the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, alongside Shanghai Normal University, has overcome these hurdles. Through an innovative approach, they successfully prepared zGNRs samples embedded within hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) lattices and directly confirmed their intrinsic magnetism. This groundbreaking achievement not only deepens researchers' comprehension of graphene's magnetic properties but also opens up a new frontier for the development of graphene-based spintronic devices.