Charge-to-spin conversion and spin diffusion in Bi/Ag bilayers observed by spin-polarized positron beam

スピン偏極陽電子ビームによるBi/Ag二層膜中の電荷-スピン変換とスピン拡散の観測

Zhang, H. J.; 山本 春也; Gu, B.; Li, H.; 前川 雅樹; 深谷 有喜   ; 河裾 厚男

Zhang, H. J.; Yamamoto, Shunya; Gu, B.; Li, H.; Maekawa, Masaki; Fukaya, Yuki; Kawasuso, Atsuo

スピン偏極陽電子ビームを用いた最表面ポジトロニウム消滅過程の観測を通じて、Bi/Ag二層膜中のラシュバ-エデルシュタイン効果に伴う電荷-スピン変換の直接検出に初めて成功した。同一の通電方向に対して、BiとAgの表面では逆のスピン偏極が得られた。スピン偏極率は、膜の厚さが増すとともに指数関数的に減少することが知られた。以上の結果は、Bi/Ag界面で生成したスピンが、両層を通じて最表面に伝導・蓄積することを示している。

Charge-to-spin conversion induced by the Rashba-Edelstein effect was directly observed for the first time in samples with no magnetic layer. A spin-polarized positron beam was used to probe the spin polarization of the outermost surface electrons of Bi/Ag/AlO and Ag/Bi/AlO when charge currents were only associated with the Ag layers. An opposite surface spin polarization was found between Bi/Ag/AlO and Ag/Bi/AlO samples with the application of a charge current in the same direction. The surface spin polarizations of both systems decreased exponentially with the outermost layer thickness, suggesting the occurrence of spin diffusion from the Bi/Ag interface to the outermost surfaces. This work provides a new technique to measure spin diffusion length.