Anomalous spin Josephson effect in spin superconductors

The spin superconductor state is the spin-polarized triplet exciton condensate,which can be viewed as a counterpart of the charge superconductor state.As an analogy of the charge Josephson effect,the spin Josephson effect can be generated in the spin superconductor/normal metal/spin superconductor junctions.Here we study the spin supercurrent in the Josephson junctions consisting of two spin superconductors with noncollinear spin polarizations.For the Josephson junctions with out-of-plane spin polarizations,the possibleπ-state spin supercurrent appears due to the Fermi momentum-splitting Andreev-like reflections at the normal metal/spin superconductor interfaces.For the Josephson junctions with in-plane spin polarizations,the anomalous spin supercurrent appears and is driven by the misorientation angle of the in-plane polarizations.The symmetry analysis shows that the appearance of the anomalous spin Josephson current is possible when the combined symmetry of the spin rotation and the time reversal is broken.

Multi-functional photonic spin Hall effect sensor controlled by phase transition

Photonic spin Hall effect(PSHE), as a novel physical effect in light–matter interaction, provides an effective metrological method for characterizing the tiny variation in refractive index(RI). In this work, we propose a multi-functional PSHE sensor based on VO_(2), a material that can reveal the phase transition behavior. By applying thermal control, the mutual transformation into different phase states of VO_(2) can be realized, which contributes to the flexible switching between multiple RI sensing tasks. When VO_(2) is insulating, the ultrasensitive detection of glucose concentrations in human blood is achieved. When VO_(2) is in a mixed phase, the structure can be designed to distinguish between the normal cells and cancer cells through no-label and real-time monitoring. When VO_(2) is metallic, the proposed PSHE sensor can act as an RI indicator for gas analytes. Compared with other multi-functional sensing devices with the complex structures, our design consists of only one analyte and two VO_(2) layers, which is very simple and elegant. Therefore, the proposed VO_(2)-based PSHE sensor has outstanding advantages such as small size, high sensitivity, no-label, and real-time detection, providing a new approach for investigating tunable multi-functional sensors.

Dissipationless spin-Hall current contribution in the extrinsic spin-Hall effect

This paper shows that a substantial amount of dissipationless spin-Hall current contribution may exist in the extrinsic spin-Hall effect,which originates from the spin-orbit coupling induced by the applied external electric field itself that drives the extrinsic spin-Hall effect in a nonmagnetic semiconductor （or metal）.By assuming that the impurity density is in a moderate range such that the total scattering potential due to all randomly distributed impurities is a smooth function of the space coordinate,it is shown that this dissipationless contribution shall be of the same orders of magnitude as the usual extrinsic contribution from spin-orbit dependent impurity scatterings （or may even be larger than the latter one）.The theoretical results obtained are in good agreement with recent relevant experimental results.

Coexistence of giant Rashba spin splitting and quantum spin Hall effect in H–Pb–F

Rashba spin splitting(RSS)and quantum spin Hall effect(QSHE)have attracted enormous interest due to their great significance in the application of spintronics.In this work,we theoretically proposed a new two-dimensional(2D)material H–Pb–F with coexistence of giant RSS and quantum spin Hall effec by using the ab initio calculations.Our results show that H–Pb–F possesses giant RSS(1.21 eV·A)and the RSS can be tuned up to 4.16 e V·A by in-plane biaxial strain,which is a huge value among 2D materials.Furthermore,we also noticed that H–Pb–F is a 2D topological insulator(TI)duo to the strong spin–orbit coupling(SOC)interaction,and the large topological gap is up to 1.35 e V,which is large enough for for the observation of topological edge states at room temperature.The coexistence of giant RSS and quantum spin Hall effect greatly broadens the potential application of H–Pb–F in the field of spintronic devices.

Stability analysis of magnetization in a perpendicular magnetic layer driven by spin Hall effect

We investigate the stability of magnetization in free layer where the spin torque is induced by the spin Hall effect.In terms of the Landau–Liftshitz–Gilbert equation,we find the low-energy and high-energy equilibrium states,as well as the saddle points.The stability region is defined in the phase diagram spanned by the current density and the spin Hall angle.The spin Hall effect makes the previous saddle point into a stable state above a critical current.However,in the presence of magnetic field,the spin Hall effect leads to the opposite changes in the stable regions of the two low-energy states.

Effect of spin on the instability of THz plasma waves in field-effect transistors under non-ideal boundary conditions

Terahertz(THz) radiation can be generated due to the instability of THz plasma waves in field-effect transistors(FETs). In this work, we discuss the instability of THz plasma waves in the channel of FETs with spin and quantum effects under non-ideal boundary conditions. We obtain a linear dispersion relation by using the hydrodynamic equation, Maxwell equation and spin equation. The influence of source capacitance, drain capacitance, spin effects, quantum effects and channel width on the instability of THz plasma waves under the non-ideal boundary conditions is investigated in great detail. The results of numerical simulation show that the THz plasma wave is unstable when the drain capacitance is smaller than the source capacitance;the oscillation frequency with asymmetric boundary conditions is smaller than that under non-ideal boundary conditions;the instability gain of THz plasma waves becomes lower under non-ideal boundary conditions. This finding provides a new idea for finding efficient THz radiation sources and opens up a new mechanism for the development of THz technology.

Engineered photonic spin Hall effect of Gaussian beam in antisymmetric parity-time metamaterials

A model of the photonic spin Hall effect(PSHE)in antisymmetric parity-time(APT)metamaterials with incidence of Gaussian beams is proposed here.We derive the displacement expression of the PSHE in APT metamaterials based on the transport properties of Gaussian beams in positive and negative refractive index materials.Furthermore,detailed discussions are provided on the APT scattering matrix,eigenstate ratio,and response near exceptional points in the case of loss or gain.In contrast to the unidirectional non-reflection in parity-time(PT)symmetric systems,the transverse shift that arises from both sides of the APT structure is consistent.By effectively adjusting the parameters of APT materials,we achieve giant displacements of the transverse shift.Finally,we present a multi-layer APT structure consisting of alternating left-handed and right-handed materials.By increasing the number of layers,Bragg oscillations can be generated,leading to an increase in resonant peaks in transverse shift.This study presents a new approach to achieving giant transverse shifts in the APT structure.This lays a theoretical foundation for the fabrication of related nano-optical devices.

Influence of spin-orbit coupling induced by in-plane external electric field on the intrinsic spin-Hall effect in a Rashba two-dimensional electron gas

We study theoretically the influence of spin-orbit coupling induced by in-plane external electric field on the intrinsic spin-Hall effect in a two-dimensional electron gas with Rashba spin-orbit coupling. We show that, after such an influence is taken into account, the static intrinsic spin-Hall effect can be stabilized in a disordered Rashba twodimensional electron gas, and the static intrinsic spin-Hall conductivity shall exhibit some interesting characteristics as conceived in some original theoretical proposals.

Spin transport characteristics modulated by the GeBi interlayer in Y_(3)Fe_(5)O_(12)/GeBi/Pt heterostructures

For the past few years,germanium-based semiconductor spintronics has attracted considerable interest due to its potential for integration into mainstream semiconductor technology.The main challenges in the development of modern semiconductor spintronics are the generation,detection,and manipulation of spin currents.Here,the transport characteristics of a spin current generated by spin pumping through a GeBi semiconductor barrier in Y_(3)Fe_(5)O_(12)/GeBi/Pt heterostructures were investigated systematically.The effective spin-mixing conductance and inverse spin Hall voltage to quantitatively describe the spin transport characteristics were extracted.The spin-injection efficiency in the Y_(3)Fe_(5)O_(12)/GeBi/Pt heterostructures is comparable to that of the Y_(3)Fe_(5)O_(12)/Pt bilayer,and the inverse spin Hall voltage exponential decays with the increase in the barrier thickness.Furthermore,the band gap of the GeBi layer was tuned by changing the Bi content.The spin-injection efficiency at the YIG/semiconductor interface and the spin transportation within the semiconductor barrier are related to the band gap of the GeBi layer.Our results may be used as guidelines for the fabrication of efficient spin transmission structures and may lead to further studies on the impacts of different kinds of barrier materials.

Inverse spin Hall effect in ITO/YIG exited by spin pumping and spin Seebeck experiments

Spin currents, which are excited in indium tin oxide(ITO)/yttrium iron garnet(YIG) by the methods of spin pumping and spin Seebeck effect, are investigated through the inverse spin Hall effect(ISHE). It is demonstrated that the ISHE voltage can be generated in ITO by spin pumping under both in-plane and out-of-plane magnetization configurations.Moreover, it is observed that the enhancement of spin Hall angle and interfacial spin mixing conductance can be achieved by an appropriate annealing process. However, the ISHE voltage is hardly seen in the presence of a longitudinal temperature gradient. The absence of the longitudinal spin Seebeck effect can be ascribed to the almost equal thermal conductivity of ITO and YIG and specific interface structure, or to the large negative temperature dependent spin mixing conductance.

Finite size effects on helical edge states in HgTe quantum wells with the spin orbit coupling due to bulk- and structure-inversion asymmetries

There is a quantum spin Hall state in the inverted HgTe quantum well, characterized by the topologically protected gapless helical edge states lying within the bulk gap. It has been found that for a strip of finite width, the edge states on the two sides can couple together to produce a gap in the spectrum. The phenomenon is called the finite size effect in quantum spin Hall systems. In this paper, we investigate the effects of the spin-orbit coupling due to bulk- and structure-inversion asymmetries on the finite size effect in the HgTe quantum well by means of the numerical diagonalization method. When the bulk-inversion asymmetry is taken into account, it is shown that the energy gap Eg of the edge states due to the finite size effect features an oscillating exponential decay as a function of the strip width of the HgTe quantum well. The origin of this oscillatory pattern on the exponential decay is explained. Furthermore, if the bulk- and structure-inversion asymmetries are considered simultaneously, the structure-inversion asymmetry will induce a shift of the energy gap Eg closing point. Finally, based on the roles of the bulk- and structure-inversion asymmetries on the finite size effects, a way to realize the quantum spin Hall field effect transistor is proposed.

Recent developments in chiral and spin polarization effects in heavy-ion collisions

We give a brief overview of recent theoretical and experimental results on the chiral magnetic effect and spin polarization effect in heavy-ion collisions.We present updated experimental results for the chiral magnetic effect and related phenomena.The time evolution of the magnetic fields in different models is discussed.The newly developed quantum kinetic theory for massive fermions is reviewed.We present theoretical and experimental results for the polarization of K hyperons and the q00 value of vector mesons.

Characteristics of anomalous Hall effect in spin-polarized two-dimensional electron gases in the presence of both intrinsic,extrinsic,and external electric-field induced spin-orbit couplings

The various competing contributions to the anomalous Hall effect in spin-polarized two-dimensional electron gases in the presence of both intrinsic, extrinsic and external electric-field induced spin-orbit coupling were investigated theoretically. Based on a unified semiclassical theoretical approach, it is shown that the total anomalous Hall conductivity can be expressed as the sum of three distinct contributions in the presence of these competing spin-orbit interactions, namely an intrinsic contribution determined by the Berry curvature in the momentum space, an extrinsic contribution determined by the modified Bloch band group velocity and an extrinsic contribution determined by spin-orbit-dependent impurity scattering. The characteristics of these competing contributions are discussed in detail in the paper.

Spin Supercurrent in Phenomena of Quantum Non-Locality (Quantum Correlations, Magnetic Vector Potential) and in Near-Field Antenna Effect

It is shown that such phenomena as quantum correlations (interaction of space-separated quantum entities), the action of magnetic vector potential on quantum entities in the absence of magnetic field, and near-field antenna effect (the existence of superluminally propagating electromagnetic fields) may be explained by action of spin supercurrents. In case of quantum correlations between quantum entities, spin supercurrent emerges between virtual particles pairs (virtual photons) created by those quantum entities. The explanation of magnetic vector potential and near-field antenna effect is based on contemporary principle of quantum mechanics: the physical vacuum is not an empty space but the ground state of the field consisting of quantum harmonic oscillators (QHOs) characterized by zero-point energy. Using the properties of the oscillators and spin supercurrent, it is proved that magnetic vector potential is proportional to the moment causing the orientation of spin of QHO along the direction of magnetic field. The near-field antenna effect is supposed to take place as a result of action of spin supercurrent causing secondary electromagnetic oscillations. In this way, the electromagnetic field may spread at the speed of spin supercurrent. As spin supercurrent is an inertia free process, its speed may be greater than that of light, which does not contradict postulates of special relativity that sets limits to the speed of inertial systems only.

Inverse Spin Hall Effect in Two-Terminal Device with Rashba Spin-Orbit Coupling

We report a theoretic study on the inverse spin-Hall effect(ISHE)in a two-terminal nano-device thatconsists of a two-dimensional electron gas(2DEG)with Rashba spin-orbit coupling(RSOC)and two ideal leads.Basedon a two-site toy model and Keldysh Green's function method,we derive an analytic result of ISHE,which showsclearly that a nonzero transverse charge current stems from the combined effect of the RSOC,the spin bias,and its spinpolarization direction in spin space.Our further numerical calculations in a larger system other than two-site latticemodel demonstrate that the transverse charge current,dependent on the strength of the RSOC,the Fermi energy of thesystem,as well as the system size,can exhibit oscillating behavior and even reverse its sign due to Rashba spin precession.These properties may be helpful for efficient detection of the spin current(spin bias)by measuring the transverse chargecurrent in a spin-orbital coupling system.

Photonic spin Hall effect:fundamentals and emergent applications

The photonic spin Hall effect(SHE)refers to the transverse spin separation of photons with opposite spin angular momentum,after the beam passes through an optical interface or inhomogeneous medium,manifested as the spin-dependent splitting.It can be considered as an analogue of the SHE in electronic systems:the light’s right-circularly polarized and left-circularly polarized components play the role of the spin-up and spin-down electrons,and the refractive index gradient replaces the electronic potential gradient.Remarkably,the photonic SHE originates from the spin-orbit interaction of the photons and is mainly attributed to two different geometric phases,i.e.,the spin-redirection Rytov-Vlasimirskii-Berry in momentum space and the Pancharatnam-Berry phase in Stokes parameter space.The unique properties of the photonic SHE and its powerful ability to manipulate the photon spin,gradually,make it a useful tool in precision metrology,analog optical computing and quantum imaging,etc.In this review,we provide a brief framework to describe the fundamentals and advances of photonic SHE,and give an overview on the emergent applications of this phenomenon in different scenes.

Switching the direction of spin accumulation in the spin Hall effect of light by adjusting the optical axis of an uniaxial crystal

We theoretically and experimentally investigate a switchable spin Hall effect（SHE） of light in reflection near the Brewster angle at an air-uniaxial crystal interface.We find a large transverse spin splitting near the Brewster angle,whose sign can be altered by rotating the optical axis.As an analogy of the SHE in an electronic system,a switchable spin accumulation in the SHE of light is detected.We are able to switch the direction of the spin accumulation by adjusting the optical axis angle of the uniaxial crystal.These findings may give opportunities for photon spin manipulating and developing a new generation of nano-photonic devices.

Spin Chern numbers and time-reversal-symmetry-broken quantum spin Hall effect

The quantum spin Hall （QSH） effect is considered to be unstable to perturbations violating the time-reversal （TR） symmetry. We review some recent developments in the search of the QSH effect in the absence of the TR symmetry. The possibility to realize a robust QSH effect by artificial removal of the TR symmetry of the edge states is explored. As a useful tool to characterize topological phases without the TR symmetry, the spin-Chern number theory is introduced.

Quantum spin Hall and quantum valley Hall effects in trilayer graphene and their topological structures

The present study pertains to the trilayer graphene in the presence of spin orbit coupling to probe the quantum spin/valley Hall effect. The spin Chern-number Cs for energy-bands of trilayer graphene having the essence of intrinsic spin-orbit coupling is analytically calculated. We find that for each valley and spin, Cs is three times larger in trilayer graphene as compared to single layer graphene. Since the spin Chern-number corresponds to the number of edge states, consequently the trilayer graphene has edge states, three times more in comparison to single layer graphene. We also study the trilayer graphene in the presence of both electric-field and intrinsic spin-orbit coupling and investigate that the trilayer graphene goes through a phase transition from a quantum spin Hall state to a quantum valley Hall state when the strength of the electric field exceeds the intrinsic spin coupling strength. The robustness of the associated topological bulk-state of the trilayer graphene is evaluated by adding various perturbations such as Rashba spin-orbit （RSO） interaction αR, and exchange-magnetization M. In addition, we consider a theoretical model, where only one of the outer layers in trilayer graphene has the essence of intrinsic spin-orbit coupling, while the other two layers have zero intrinsic spin-orbit coupling. Although the first Chern number is non-zero for individual valleys of trilayer graphene in this model, however, we find that the system cannot be regarded as a topological insulator because the system as a whole is not gaped.

Magnetization-direction-dependent inverse spin Hall effect observed in IrMn/NiFe/Cu/YIG multilayer structure

The magnetization-direction-dependent inverse spin Hall effect(ISHE) has been observed in NiFe film during spin Seebeck measurement in IrMn/NiFe/Cu/yttrium iron garnet(YIG) multilayer structure, where the YIG and NiFe layers act as the spin injector and spin current detector, respectively. By using the NiFe/IrMn exchange bias structure, the magnetization direction of YIG(MYIG) can be rotated with respect to that of NiFe(MNiFe) with a small magnetic field, thus allowing us to observe the magnetization-direction-dependent inverse spin Hall effect voltage in NiFe layer. Compared with the situation that polarization direction of spin current(σs) is perpendicular to MNiFe, the spin Seebeck voltage is about 30% larger than that when σs and MNiFe are parallel to each other. This phenomenon may originate from either or both of stronger interface or bulk scattering to spin current when σs and MNiFe are perpendicular to each other. Our work provides a way to control the voltage induced by ISHE in ferromagnets.