Circular photocurrents in centrosymmetric semiconductors with hidden spin polarization
Abstract Centrosymmetric materials with site inversion asymmetries possess hidden spin polarization, which remains challenging to be converted into spin currents because the global inversion symmetry is still conserved. This study demonstrates the spin-polarized circular photocurrents in centrosymme...
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| Format: | Article |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-10-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53425-9 |
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| author | Kexin Wang Butian Zhang Chengyu Yan Luojun Du Shun Wang |
| author_facet | Kexin Wang Butian Zhang Chengyu Yan Luojun Du Shun Wang |
| author_sort | Kexin Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Centrosymmetric materials with site inversion asymmetries possess hidden spin polarization, which remains challenging to be converted into spin currents because the global inversion symmetry is still conserved. This study demonstrates the spin-polarized circular photocurrents in centrosymmetric transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductors at normal incidence without applying electric bias. The global inversion symmetry is broken by using a spatially-varying circularly polarized light beam, which could generate spin gradient owing to the hidden spin polarization. The dependence of the circular photocurrents on electrode configuration, illumination position, and beam spot size indicates an emergence of circulating electric current under spatially inhomogeneous light, which is associated with the deflection of spin-polarized current through the inverse spin Hall effect. The circular photocurrents is subsequently utilized to probe the spin polarization and the inverse spin Hall effect under different excitation wavelengths and temperatures. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of using centrosymmetric materials with hidden spin polarization and non-vanishing Berry curvature for spintronic device applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2147dc7af8f240c58c1d8e8dc3a1c5b2 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-10-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-2147dc7af8f240c58c1d8e8dc3a1c5b22025-08-20T02:17:47ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-10-011511810.1038/s41467-024-53425-9Circular photocurrents in centrosymmetric semiconductors with hidden spin polarizationKexin Wang0Butian Zhang1Chengyu Yan2Luojun Du3Shun Wang4MOE Key Laboratory of Fundamental Physical Quantities Measurement and Hubei Key Laboratory of Gravitation and Quantum Physics, PGMF and School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyMOE Key Laboratory of Fundamental Physical Quantities Measurement and Hubei Key Laboratory of Gravitation and Quantum Physics, PGMF and School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyMOE Key Laboratory of Fundamental Physical Quantities Measurement and Hubei Key Laboratory of Gravitation and Quantum Physics, PGMF and School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyBeijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics; Key Laboratory for Nanoscale Physics and Devices, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of SciencesMOE Key Laboratory of Fundamental Physical Quantities Measurement and Hubei Key Laboratory of Gravitation and Quantum Physics, PGMF and School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyAbstract Centrosymmetric materials with site inversion asymmetries possess hidden spin polarization, which remains challenging to be converted into spin currents because the global inversion symmetry is still conserved. This study demonstrates the spin-polarized circular photocurrents in centrosymmetric transition metal dichalcogenide semiconductors at normal incidence without applying electric bias. The global inversion symmetry is broken by using a spatially-varying circularly polarized light beam, which could generate spin gradient owing to the hidden spin polarization. The dependence of the circular photocurrents on electrode configuration, illumination position, and beam spot size indicates an emergence of circulating electric current under spatially inhomogeneous light, which is associated with the deflection of spin-polarized current through the inverse spin Hall effect. The circular photocurrents is subsequently utilized to probe the spin polarization and the inverse spin Hall effect under different excitation wavelengths and temperatures. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of using centrosymmetric materials with hidden spin polarization and non-vanishing Berry curvature for spintronic device applications.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53425-9 |
| spellingShingle | Kexin Wang Butian Zhang Chengyu Yan Luojun Du Shun Wang Circular photocurrents in centrosymmetric semiconductors with hidden spin polarization Nature Communications |
| title | Circular photocurrents in centrosymmetric semiconductors with hidden spin polarization |
| title_full | Circular photocurrents in centrosymmetric semiconductors with hidden spin polarization |
| title_fullStr | Circular photocurrents in centrosymmetric semiconductors with hidden spin polarization |
| title_full_unstemmed | Circular photocurrents in centrosymmetric semiconductors with hidden spin polarization |
| title_short | Circular photocurrents in centrosymmetric semiconductors with hidden spin polarization |
| title_sort | circular photocurrents in centrosymmetric semiconductors with hidden spin polarization |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-53425-9 |
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