Spin Hall photoconductance in a three-dimensional topological insulator at room temperature.

ABSTRACT: Three-dimensional topological insulators are a class of Dirac materials, wherein strong spin-orbit coupling leads to two-dimensional surface states. The latter feature spin-momentum locking, i.e., each momentum vector is associated with a spin locked perpendicularly to it in the surface plane. While the principal spin generation capability of topological insulators is well established, comparatively little is known about the interaction of the spins with external stimuli like polarized light. We observe a helical, bias-dependent photoconductance at the lateral edges of topological Bi₂Te₂Se platelets for perpendicular incidence of light. The same edges exhibit also a finite bias-dependent Kerr angle, indicative of spin accumulation induced by a transversal spin Hall ef

SUBMITTER: Seifert P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5780383 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature