0_9526 Graphene has weak spin-orbit coupling and no magnetic order. But when placed in contact with a strong spin-orbit coupling material, such as a TMDC, or a ferromagnet, such as Cr2Ge2Te6, Dirac electrons acquire strong spin-orbit or exchange coupling, respectively. Such proximity effects render graphene suitable for spintronic applications that require spin manipulation [1]. In addition, graphene with strong proximity spin interactions can host novel topological states [2]. Fascinating new phenomena appear when bilayer graphene gets encapsulated by a TMDC from one side, and a ferromagnet from another. The resulting, so called ex-so-tic structure [3], offers spin swap functionality: switching spin-orbit and exchange coupling on demand by gate. In this talk I will review the recent developments in the proximity phenomena in graphene, and present some recent theoretical results on the control of the proximity spin-orbit and exchange coupling by twisting the van der Waals layers. I will show that the signature proximity spin-orbit coupling in graphene---valley Zeeman coupling---can be efficiently tuned by the twist angle [4], and that proximity exchange coupling can be switched by the twist angle, and even morph from ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic [5]. Support from DFG SPP1244, SFB 1277,  FLAGERA 2DSOTECH, and EU Graphene Flagship is acknowledged. 

1. J. Sierra et al, Nature Nanotechnology, 16, 856 (2021)
2. P. Högl et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 136403 (2020)
3. K. Zollner et al, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 196402 (2020)
4. T. Naimer et al, Phys. Rev. B 104, 195156 (2021)
5. K. Zollner and J. Fabian, Phys. Rev. Lett. 128, 106401 (2022)