Room Temperature Electrical Detection of Spin Polarized Currents in Topological Insulators
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2015

Topological insulators (TIs) are a new class of quantum materials that exhibit a current-induced spin polarization due to spin-momentum locking of massless Dirac Fermions in their surface states. This helical spin polarization in three-dimensional (3D) TIs has been observed using photoemission spectroscopy up to room temperatures. Recently, spin polarized surface currents in 3D TIs were detected electrically by potentiometric measurements using ferromagnetic detector contacts. However, these electric measurements are so far limited to cryogenic temperatures. Here we report the room temperature electrical detection of the spin polarization on the surface of Bi2Se3 by employing spin sensitive ferromagnetic tunnel contacts. The current-induced spin polarization on the Bi2Se3 surface is probed by measuring the magnetoresistance while switching the magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic detector. A spin resistance of up to 70 mΩ is measured at room temperature, which increases linearly with current bias, reverses sign with current direction, and decreases with higher TI thickness. The magnitude of the spin signal, its sign, and control experiments, using different measurement geometries and interface conditions, rule out other known physical effects. These findings provide further information about the electrical detection of current-induced spin polarizations in 3D TIs at ambient temperatures and could lead to innovative spin-based technologies.

ferromagnetic tunnel contacts

Bi2Se3

spin-momentum locking spin polarized surface states

Topological insulators

room temperature

Författare

André Dankert

Chalmers, Mikroteknologi och nanovetenskap, Kvantkomponentfysik

Johannes Geurs

Chalmers, Mikroteknologi och nanovetenskap

Venkata Kamalakar Mutta

Chalmers, Mikroteknologi och nanovetenskap, Kvantkomponentfysik

Sophie Charpentier

Chalmers, Mikroteknologi och nanovetenskap, Kvantkomponentfysik

Saroj Prasad Dash

Chalmers, Mikroteknologi och nanovetenskap, Kvantkomponentfysik

Nano Letters

1530-6984 (ISSN) 1530-6992 (eISSN)

Vol. 15 12 7976-7981

Styrkeområden

Informations- och kommunikationsteknik

Nanovetenskap och nanoteknik

Energi

Materialvetenskap

Ämneskategorier

Fysik

Nanoteknik

Fundament

Grundläggande vetenskaper

DOI

10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b03080

Mer information

Skapat

2017-10-08