Ultrafast all-optical generation of pure spin and valley currents
Abstract Pure currents comprise the flow of a two state quantum freedom – for example the electron spin – in the absence of charge flow. Radically different from the charge currents that underpin present day electronics, in two dimensional materials possessing additional two state freedoms such as v...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-06-01
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| Series: | npj 2D Materials and Applications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41699-025-00558-0 |
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| author | D. Gill S. Sharma J. K. Dewhurst S. Shallcross |
| author_facet | D. Gill S. Sharma J. K. Dewhurst S. Shallcross |
| author_sort | D. Gill |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Pure currents comprise the flow of a two state quantum freedom – for example the electron spin – in the absence of charge flow. Radically different from the charge currents that underpin present day electronics, in two dimensional materials possessing additional two state freedoms such as valley index they offer profound possibilities for miniaturization and energy efficiency in a next generation spin- and valleytronics. Here we demonstrate a robust multi-pump lightwave protocol capable of generating both pure spin and valley currents on femtosecond times. The generation time is determined by the 2d material gap, with the creation of pure spin current in WSe2 at 40 fs and pure valley current in bilayer graphene at ~ 200 fs. Our all-optical approach demands no special material design, requiring only a gapped valley active material, and is thus applicable to a wide range of 2d materials. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7280c8b3f70748fb8b8193b5a02d76dc |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2397-7132 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj 2D Materials and Applications |
| spelling | doaj-art-7280c8b3f70748fb8b8193b5a02d76dc2025-08-20T02:06:31ZengNature Portfolionpj 2D Materials and Applications2397-71322025-06-01911910.1038/s41699-025-00558-0Ultrafast all-optical generation of pure spin and valley currentsD. Gill0S. Sharma1J. K. Dewhurst2S. Shallcross3Max-Born-Institute for Non-Linear opticsMax-Born-Institute for Non-Linear opticsMax-Planck-Institut fur Mikrostrukturphysik Weinberg 2Max-Born-Institute for Non-Linear opticsAbstract Pure currents comprise the flow of a two state quantum freedom – for example the electron spin – in the absence of charge flow. Radically different from the charge currents that underpin present day electronics, in two dimensional materials possessing additional two state freedoms such as valley index they offer profound possibilities for miniaturization and energy efficiency in a next generation spin- and valleytronics. Here we demonstrate a robust multi-pump lightwave protocol capable of generating both pure spin and valley currents on femtosecond times. The generation time is determined by the 2d material gap, with the creation of pure spin current in WSe2 at 40 fs and pure valley current in bilayer graphene at ~ 200 fs. Our all-optical approach demands no special material design, requiring only a gapped valley active material, and is thus applicable to a wide range of 2d materials.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41699-025-00558-0 |
| spellingShingle | D. Gill S. Sharma J. K. Dewhurst S. Shallcross Ultrafast all-optical generation of pure spin and valley currents npj 2D Materials and Applications |
| title | Ultrafast all-optical generation of pure spin and valley currents |
| title_full | Ultrafast all-optical generation of pure spin and valley currents |
| title_fullStr | Ultrafast all-optical generation of pure spin and valley currents |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ultrafast all-optical generation of pure spin and valley currents |
| title_short | Ultrafast all-optical generation of pure spin and valley currents |
| title_sort | ultrafast all optical generation of pure spin and valley currents |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41699-025-00558-0 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dgill ultrafastallopticalgenerationofpurespinandvalleycurrents AT ssharma ultrafastallopticalgenerationofpurespinandvalleycurrents AT jkdewhurst ultrafastallopticalgenerationofpurespinandvalleycurrents AT sshallcross ultrafastallopticalgenerationofpurespinandvalleycurrents |