Spin injection and inverse Edelstein effect in the surface states of topological Kondo insulator SmB6

Qi Song, Jian Mi, Dan Zhao, Tang Su, Wei Yuan, Wenyu Xing, Yangyang Chen, Tianyu Wang, Tao Wu, Xian Hui Chen, X. C. Xie, Chi Zhang (), Jing Shi () and Wei Han ()
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Qi Song: International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University
Jian Mi: International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University
Dan Zhao: Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Science at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China
Tang Su: International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University
Wei Yuan: International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University
Wenyu Xing: International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University
Yangyang Chen: International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University
Tianyu Wang: International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University
Tao Wu: Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Science at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China
Xian Hui Chen: Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Science at Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China
X. C. Xie: International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University
Chi Zhang: International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University
Jing Shi: University of California
Wei Han: International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-6

Abstract: Abstract There has been considerable interest in exploiting the spin degrees of freedom of electrons for potential information storage and computing technologies. Topological insulators (TIs), a class of quantum materials, have special gapless edge/surface states, where the spin polarization of the Dirac fermions is locked to the momentum direction. This spin–momentum locking property gives rise to very interesting spin-dependent physical phenomena such as the Edelstein and inverse Edelstein effects. However, the spin injection in pure surface states of TI is very challenging because of the coexistence of the highly conducting bulk states. Here, we experimentally demonstrate the spin injection and observe the inverse Edelstein effect in the surface states of a topological Kondo insulator, SmB6. At low temperatures when only surface carriers are present, a clear spin signal is observed. Furthermore, the magnetic field angle dependence of the spin signal is consistent with spin–momentum locking property of surface states of SmB6.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13485

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