Abstract
Spin current generators are critical components for spintronics-based information processing. In this work, we theoretically and computationally investigate the bulk spin photovoltaic (BSPV) effect for creating DC spin current under light illumination. The only requirement for BSPV is inversion symmetry breaking, thus it applies to a broad range of materials and can be readily integrated with existing semiconductor technologies. The BSPV effect is a cousin of the bulk photovoltaic (BPV) effect, whereby a DC charge current is generated under light. Thanks to the different selection rules on spin and charge currents, a pure spin current can be realized if the system possesses mirror symmetry or inversion-mirror symmetry. The mechanism of BSPV and the role of the electronic relaxation time tau are also elucidated. We apply our theory to several distinct materials, including monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides, anti-ferromagnetic bilayer MnBi2Te4, and the surface of topological crystalline insulator cubic SnTe.
Highlights
Spin current generators are critical components for spintronics-based information processing
We propose a mechanism to generate direct current (DC) spin current based on the nonlinear optical (NLO) theory
This mechanism is a cousin of the bulk photovoltaic (BPV) effect[29,30], whereby DC charge currents can be generated in a uniform crystal under light illumination
Summary
Spin current generators are critical components for spintronics-based information processing. We first introduce a unified theory on NLO spin (BSPV) and charge (BPV) currents generation. We only show the NLO charge and spin current under LPL, while the responses under CPL can be found in the Supplementary Information.
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