Numerical study on the spin Seebeck effect

Oe, Junichiro; Adachi, Hiroto; Takahashi, Saburo; Maekawa, Sadamichi

Thermally driven spin-wave spin currents in ferromagnetic (FM) materials and a resulting measurable electric signal in a normal metal (NM) probe placed on FM are theoretically investigated. We develop the numerical technique for calculating a spin Seebeck signal detected by the NM probe that converts the spin current to the charge current. By taking into account the fluctuation-dissipation theorem for thermally fluctuating spins at the interface of a FM/NM junction, the spin current is induced in the NM probe via an exchange interaction when the FM feels the temperature gradient. Numerical simulation clarifies the role of the sample boundary on the spatial distribution of the spin current both in FM and NM. The spin-wave spin current that flows parallel to the heat current is also investigated.