Direct observation of distinct bulk and edge nonequilibrium spin accumulation in ultrathin MoTe2
Abstract Low-symmetry two-dimensional (2D) topological materials such as MoTe2 host efficient charge-to-spin conversion (CSC) mechanisms that can be harnessed for novel electronic and spintronic devices. However, the nature of the various CSC mechanisms and their correlation with underlying crystal...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61550-2 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849768594740609024 |
|---|---|
| author | Fangchu Chen Kamal Das Bowen Yang Chuangtang Wang Shazhou Zhong Diana Golovanova He Ren Tianyang Wang Xuan Luo Yuping Sun Liuyan Zhao Guo-Xing Miao Binghai Yan Adam W. Tsen |
| author_facet | Fangchu Chen Kamal Das Bowen Yang Chuangtang Wang Shazhou Zhong Diana Golovanova He Ren Tianyang Wang Xuan Luo Yuping Sun Liuyan Zhao Guo-Xing Miao Binghai Yan Adam W. Tsen |
| author_sort | Fangchu Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Low-symmetry two-dimensional (2D) topological materials such as MoTe2 host efficient charge-to-spin conversion (CSC) mechanisms that can be harnessed for novel electronic and spintronic devices. However, the nature of the various CSC mechanisms and their correlation with underlying crystal symmetries remain unsettled. In this work, we use local spin-sensitive electrochemical potential measurements to directly probe the spatially dependent nonequilibrium spin accumulation in MoTe2 flakes down to four atomic layers. We are able to clearly disentangle contributions originating from the spin Hall and Rashba-Edelstein effects and uncover an abundance of unconventional spin polarizations that develop uniquely in the sample bulk and edges with decreasing thickness. Using ab-initio calculations, we construct a unified understanding of all the observed CSC components in relation to the material dimensionality and stacking arrangement. Our findings not only illuminate previous CSC results on MoTe2 but also have important ramifications for future devices that can exploit the local and layer-dependent spin properties of this 2D topological material. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-53d62b18c1144bb7acce501aa951d592 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-53d62b18c1144bb7acce501aa951d5922025-08-20T03:03:44ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-011611810.1038/s41467-025-61550-2Direct observation of distinct bulk and edge nonequilibrium spin accumulation in ultrathin MoTe2Fangchu Chen0Kamal Das1Bowen Yang2Chuangtang Wang3Shazhou Zhong4Diana Golovanova5He Ren6Tianyang Wang7Xuan Luo8Yuping Sun9Liuyan Zhao10Guo-Xing Miao11Binghai Yan12Adam W. Tsen13Institute for Quantum Computing, University of WaterlooDepartment of Condensed Matter Physics, Weizmann Institute of ScienceInstitute for Quantum Computing, University of WaterlooDepartment of Physics, University of MichiganInstitute for Quantum Computing, University of WaterlooDepartment of Condensed Matter Physics, Weizmann Institute of ScienceInstitute for Quantum Computing, University of WaterlooKey Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Materials Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, HFIPS, Chinese Academy of SciencesDepartment of Physics, University of MichiganInstitute for Quantum Computing, University of WaterlooDepartment of Condensed Matter Physics, Weizmann Institute of ScienceInstitute for Quantum Computing, University of WaterlooAbstract Low-symmetry two-dimensional (2D) topological materials such as MoTe2 host efficient charge-to-spin conversion (CSC) mechanisms that can be harnessed for novel electronic and spintronic devices. However, the nature of the various CSC mechanisms and their correlation with underlying crystal symmetries remain unsettled. In this work, we use local spin-sensitive electrochemical potential measurements to directly probe the spatially dependent nonequilibrium spin accumulation in MoTe2 flakes down to four atomic layers. We are able to clearly disentangle contributions originating from the spin Hall and Rashba-Edelstein effects and uncover an abundance of unconventional spin polarizations that develop uniquely in the sample bulk and edges with decreasing thickness. Using ab-initio calculations, we construct a unified understanding of all the observed CSC components in relation to the material dimensionality and stacking arrangement. Our findings not only illuminate previous CSC results on MoTe2 but also have important ramifications for future devices that can exploit the local and layer-dependent spin properties of this 2D topological material.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61550-2 |
| spellingShingle | Fangchu Chen Kamal Das Bowen Yang Chuangtang Wang Shazhou Zhong Diana Golovanova He Ren Tianyang Wang Xuan Luo Yuping Sun Liuyan Zhao Guo-Xing Miao Binghai Yan Adam W. Tsen Direct observation of distinct bulk and edge nonequilibrium spin accumulation in ultrathin MoTe2 Nature Communications |
| title | Direct observation of distinct bulk and edge nonequilibrium spin accumulation in ultrathin MoTe2 |
| title_full | Direct observation of distinct bulk and edge nonequilibrium spin accumulation in ultrathin MoTe2 |
| title_fullStr | Direct observation of distinct bulk and edge nonequilibrium spin accumulation in ultrathin MoTe2 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Direct observation of distinct bulk and edge nonequilibrium spin accumulation in ultrathin MoTe2 |
| title_short | Direct observation of distinct bulk and edge nonequilibrium spin accumulation in ultrathin MoTe2 |
| title_sort | direct observation of distinct bulk and edge nonequilibrium spin accumulation in ultrathin mote2 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61550-2 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fangchuchen directobservationofdistinctbulkandedgenonequilibriumspinaccumulationinultrathinmote2 AT kamaldas directobservationofdistinctbulkandedgenonequilibriumspinaccumulationinultrathinmote2 AT bowenyang directobservationofdistinctbulkandedgenonequilibriumspinaccumulationinultrathinmote2 AT chuangtangwang directobservationofdistinctbulkandedgenonequilibriumspinaccumulationinultrathinmote2 AT shazhouzhong directobservationofdistinctbulkandedgenonequilibriumspinaccumulationinultrathinmote2 AT dianagolovanova directobservationofdistinctbulkandedgenonequilibriumspinaccumulationinultrathinmote2 AT heren directobservationofdistinctbulkandedgenonequilibriumspinaccumulationinultrathinmote2 AT tianyangwang directobservationofdistinctbulkandedgenonequilibriumspinaccumulationinultrathinmote2 AT xuanluo directobservationofdistinctbulkandedgenonequilibriumspinaccumulationinultrathinmote2 AT yupingsun directobservationofdistinctbulkandedgenonequilibriumspinaccumulationinultrathinmote2 AT liuyanzhao directobservationofdistinctbulkandedgenonequilibriumspinaccumulationinultrathinmote2 AT guoxingmiao directobservationofdistinctbulkandedgenonequilibriumspinaccumulationinultrathinmote2 AT binghaiyan directobservationofdistinctbulkandedgenonequilibriumspinaccumulationinultrathinmote2 AT adamwtsen directobservationofdistinctbulkandedgenonequilibriumspinaccumulationinultrathinmote2 |