Spin Diffusion Coefficient Research Articles

A Numerical simulation method for analyzing 1H spin diffusion NMR for Multicomponent and multiphase polymer systems

A numerical simulation method, namely, SDNMR-WEBFIT, is reported for simulating proton spin diffusion NMR based on the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm and a pseudo-2D diffusion model. This method is used for the precise quantification of dynamics heterogeneity of the interphase within multiphase polymer systems. The numerical simulation method provides measurements of spin-lattice relaxation time (T1), proton density (ρH), lamellar thickness (d), and spin diffusion coefficient (D) for each component. The pseudo-2D diffusion model is employed to simulate the proton spin diffusion build-up/decay curves, simultaneously calculating the lateral fraction of island-like structures (x-ratio). Such approach was successfully applied to various polymer systems, such as semi-crystalline polymer (Poly(ε-caprolactone), PCL), block copolymers (Styrene-butadiene-styrene triblock copolymer, SBS), and plasticized semi-polymers (Polvinyl alcohol, PVA).

Spin helices in GaAs quantum wells: Interplay of electron density, spin diffusion, and spin lifetime

To establish a correlation between spin diffusion, spin lifetime, and electron density, we study spin polarization evolution in low-dimensional GaAs semiconductors hosting two-dimensional electron gases by employing time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect microscopy. It is shown that for the establishment of the longest spin-lifetime, the variation in the scattering rate with electron density is of more importance than fulfilling the persistent spin helix condition when the Rashba α and Dresselhaus β parameters are balanced. More specifically, regardless of α and β linear dependencies on the electron density, the spin relaxation rate is determined by the spin diffusion coefficient that depends on electron density nonmonotonously. The longest experimental spin-lifetime occurs at an electron density, corresponding to transition from Boltzmann to Fermi–Dirac statistics, which is several times higher than that when the persistent spin helix is expected. These facts highlight the role the electron density may play when considering applications for spintronic devices.

Enhancement of Spin-Charge Conversion in Dilute Magnetic Alloys by Kondo Screening.

We derive a kinetic theory capable of dealing both with large spin-orbit coupling and Kondo screening in dilute magnetic alloys. We obtain the collision integral nonperturbatively and uncover a contribution proportional to the momentum derivative of the impurity scattering S matrix. The latter yields an important correction to the spin diffusion and spin-charge conversion coefficients, and fully captures the so-called side-jump process without resorting to the Born approximation (which fails for resonant scattering), or to otherwise heuristic derivations. We apply our kinetic theory to a quantum impurity model with strong spin-orbit, which captures the most important features of Kondo-screened Cerium impurities in alloys such as Ce_{x}La_{1-x}Cu_{6}. We find (1)a large zero-temperature spin-Hall conductivity that depends solely on the Fermi wave number and (2)a transverse spin diffusion mechanism that modifies the standard Fick's diffusion law. Our predictions can be readily verified by standard spin-transport measurements in metal alloys with Kondo impurities.

Emergent hydrodynamics in a strongly interacting dipolar spin ensemble.

Conventional wisdom holds that macroscopic classical phenomena naturally emerge from microscopic quantum laws1-7. However, despite this mantra, building direct connections between these two descriptions has remained an enduring scientific challenge. In particular, it is difficult to quantitatively predict the emergent 'classical' properties of a system (for example, diffusivity, viscosity and compressibility) from a generic microscopic quantum Hamiltonian7-14. Here we introduce a hybrid solid-state spin platform, where the underlying disordered, dipolar quantum Hamiltonian gives rise to the emergence of unconventional spin diffusion at nanometre length scales. In particular, the combination of positional disorder and on-site random fields leads to diffusive dynamics that are Fickian yet non-Gaussian15-20. Finally, by tuning the underlying parameters within the spin Hamiltonian via a combination of static and driven fields, we demonstrate direct control over the emergent spin diffusion coefficient. Our work enablesthe investigationof hydrodynamics in many-body quantum spin systems.

Dissipative spin dynamics in hot quantum paramagnets

We use the functional renormalization approach for quantum spin systems developed by Krieg and Kopietz [Phys. Rev. B $\mathbf{99}$, 060403(R) (2019)] to calculate the spin-spin correlation function $G (\boldsymbol{k}, \omega )$ of quantum Heisenberg magnets at infinite temperature. For small wavevectors $\boldsymbol{k} $ and frequencies $\omega$ we find that $G ( \boldsymbol{k}, \omega )$ assumes in dimensions $d > 2$ the diffusive form predicted by hydrodynamics. In three dimensions our result for the spin-diffusion coefficient ${\cal{D}}$ is somewhat smaller than previous theoretical predictions based on the extrapolation of the short-time expansion, but is still about $30 \%$ larger than the measured high-temperature value of ${\cal{D}}$ in the Heisenberg ferromagnet Rb$_2$CuBr$_4\cdot$2H$_2$O. In reduced dimensions $d \leq 2$ we find superdiffusion characterized by a frequency-dependent complex spin-diffusion coefficient ${\cal{D}} ( \omega )$ which diverges logarithmically in $d=2$, and as a power-law ${\cal{D}} ( \omega ) \propto \omega^{-1/3}$ in $d=1$. Our result in one dimension implies scaling with dynamical exponent $z =3/2$, in agreement with recent calculations for integrable spin chains. Our approach is not restricted to the hydrodynamic regime and allows us to calculate the dynamic structure factor $S ( \boldsymbol{k} , \omega )$ for all wavevectors. We show how the short-wavelength behavior of $S ( \boldsymbol{k}, \omega )$ at high temperatures reflects the relative sign and strength of competing exchange interactions.

Speedup of nuclear spin diffusion in hyperpolarized solids

We propose a correction to the coefficient of nuclear spin diffusion by a factor , where is the average nuclear spin polarization. The correction, derived by extending the Lowe–Gade theory to low-temperature cases, implies that transportation of nuclear magnetization through nuclear spin diffusion accelerates when the system is hyperpolarized, whereas for low polarization the correction factor approaches unity and the diffusion coefficient coincides with the conventional diffusion coefficient valid in the high-temperature limit. The proposed scaling of the nuclear spin diffusion coefficient can lead to observable effects in the buildup of nuclear polarization by dynamic nuclear polarization.

Roadmap for the Design of All Ferromagnetic Four-Terminal Spin Valves and the Extraction of Spin Diffusion Length

Graphene is a promising substrate for future spintronics devices owing to its remarkable electronic mobility and low spin-orbit coupling. Hanle precession in spin valve devices is commonly used to evaluate the spin diffusion and spin lifetime properties. In this work, we demonstrate that this method is no longer accurate when the distance between inner and outer electrodes is smaller than six times the spin diffusion length, leading to errors as large as 50% for the calculations of the spin figures of merit of graphene. We suggest simple but efficient approaches to circumvent this limitation by addressing a revised version of the Hanle fit function. Complementarily, we provide clear guidelines for the design of four-terminal spin valves able to yield flawless estimations of the spin lifetime and the spin diffusion coefficient.

Zero-field spin precession dynamics of high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas in persistent spin helix regime

We investigated the spin-orbit (SO) effective magnetic-field-induced spin precession of a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in a modulation-doped (001) GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well close to the persistent spin helix (PSH) state. The oscillating spin signal induced by the SO fields in zero external magnetic fields was clearly observed. When the photoexcited carrier density is sufficiently small compared with the 2DEG density, the spin precession length in the space domain was obtained by analyzing the precession frequency in the PSH regime. The excitation density dependence of the spin dynamics was reproduced well using the scattering time-dependent spin dynamics simulation. We revealed that the increase in the photoexcited carriers results in a transition from ballistic motion to diffusive motion, leading to a decrease in the spin-diffusion coefficient.

Study of Electron Spin Diffusion and Relaxation Dynamics by Diffraction of transient spin grating in an Intrinsic GaAs/AlGaAs Quantum Well

In this paper, the transient spin grating method was used to measure the attenuation rate of the diffraction signals of the intrinsic spin gratings of the intrinsic GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells in different periods at room temperature, and the electron spin diffusion coefficient Ds = 121±6cm2/s was obtained. The electron spin diffusion coefficients of GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well were in good agreement with that of p-type GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well, indicating that the doping type for GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well has no significant effect on the diffusion rate of spin-polarized electrons. In this paper, the widely used formula of transient spin grating diffraction signal attenuation rate was used to fit the diffraction experimental results of the transient spin grating in the intrinsic GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well. The measured electron spin relaxation time was much shorter than that measured by the saturation absorption method. The reason for the deviation in the measured spin relaxation time was analyzed. The dynamic law of transient spin grating modulation attenuation over time was derived. The decay rate formula was modified, and the modified formula was used to fit the experimental data in the transient spin grating diffraction to obtain the spin relaxation time τs = 123 ps. The result was consistent with the measured electron spin relaxation time by the saturation absorption method.

Separation of Spin and Charge Transport in Pristine π-Conjugated Polymers.

We have experimentally tested whether spin-transport and charge-transport in pristine π-conjugated polymer films at room temperature occur via the same electronic processes. We have obtained the spin diffusion coefficient of several π-conjugated polymer films from the spin diffusion length measured by the technique of inverse spin Hall effect and the spin relaxation time measured by pulsed electrically detected magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The charge diffusion coefficient was obtained from the time-of-flight mobility measurements on the same films. We found that the spin diffusion coefficient is larger than the charge diffusion coefficient by about 1-2 orders of magnitude and conclude that spin and charge transports in disordered polymer films occur through different electronic processes.

Measurement of Proton Spin Diffusivity in Hydrated Cementitious Solids

The study of hydration and crystallization processes involving inorganic oxides is often complicated by poor long-range order and the formation of heterogeneous domains or surface layers. In solid-state NMR, 1H-1H spin diffusion analyses can provide information on spatial composition distributions, domain sizes, or miscibility in both ordered and disordered solids. Such analyses have been implemented in organic solids but crucially rely on separate measurements of the 1H spin diffusion coefficients in closely related systems. We demonstrate that an experimental NMR method, in which "holes" of well-defined dimensions are created in proton magnetization, can be applied to determine spin diffusion coefficients in cementitious solids hydrated with 17O-enriched water. We determine proton spin diffusion coefficients of 240 ± 40 nm2/s for hydrated tricalcium aluminate and 140 ± 20 nm2/s for hydrated tricalcium silicate under quasistatic conditions.

Spin transport in a long-range-interacting spin chain

We numerically study spin transport and nonequilibrium spin-density profiles in a clean one-dimensional spin-chain with long-range interactions, decaying as a power-law,$r^{-\alpha}$ with distance. We find two distinct regimes of transport: for $\alpha<1/2$, spin excitations relax instantaneously in the thermodynamic limit, and for $\alpha>1/2$, spin transport combines both diffusive and superdiffusive features. We show that while for $\alpha>3/2$ the spin diffusion coefficient is finite, transport in the system is never strictly diffusive, contrary to corresponding classical systems.

Two-Dimensional Flexible High Diffusive Spin Circuits.

Owing to their unprecedented electronic properties, graphene and two-dimensional (2D) crystals have brought fresh opportunities for advances in planar spintronic devices. Graphene is an ideal medium for spin transport while being an exceptionally resilient material for flexible nanoelectronics. However, these extraordinary traits have never been combined to create flexible graphene spin circuits. Realizing such circuits could lead to bendable strain-spin sensors, as well as a unique platform to explore pure spin current based operations and low-power 2D flexible nanoelectronics. Here, we demonstrate graphene spin circuits on flexible substrates for the first time. Despite the rough topography of the flexible substrates, these circuits prepared with chemical vapor deposited monolayer graphene reveal an efficient room temperature spin transport with distinctively large spin diffusion coefficients ∼0.2 m2 s-1. Compared to earlier graphene devices on Si/SiO2 substrates, such values are up to 20 times larger, leading to one order higher spin signals and an enhanced spin diffusion length ∼10 μm in graphene-based nonlocal spin valves fabricated using industry standard systems. This high performance arising out of a characteristic substrate terrain shows promise of a scalable and flexible platform towards flexible 2D spintronics. Our innovation is a key step for the exploration of strain-dependent 2D spin phenomena and paves the way for flexible graphene spin memory-logic units and planar spin sensors.

Spin diffusion equation in superconductors in the vicinity of Tc

We microscopically derive the spin diffusion equation in an s-wave superconductor in the vicinity of the superconducting transition temperature Tc. Applying the general relation between the relaxation function and the response function to the present spin diffusion problem, we examine how the spin relaxation time and the spin diffusion coefficient are renormalized in the superconducting state. The analysis reveals that, below Tc, both the spin relaxation time and the spin diffusion coefficient are increased, resulting in an enhancement of the spin diffusion length. The present result may provide an explanation for the recent observation of an enhanced spin pumping signal below Tc in a Py/Nb/Pt system that is free from the coherence peak effect.

Spin Diffusion in Liquid 3He Confined in Planar Aerogel

We report the results of theoretical and experimental investigation of spin diffusion in the normal phase of liquid $^3$He confined in planar aerogel: a material consisting of nanostrands which are almost parallel to a specific plane and randomly oriented in this plane. Using spin echo technique we measure the spin diffusion coefficients in the directions perpendicular and parallel to the plane. We see good agreement between the experiment and the theory.

Influence of exchange scattering on superfluidHe3states in nematic aerogel

The superfluid state in bulk liquid $^3$He is realized in the form of A or B phases. Uniaxially anisotropic aerogel (nafen) stabilizes transition from the normal to the polar superfluid state which on further cooling transitions to the axipolar orbital glass state (Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 115}, 165304 (2015)). This is the case in nafen aerogel preplated by several atomic layers of $^4$He. When pure liquid $^3$He fills the same nafen aerogel a solid-like layer of $^3$He atoms coats the aerogel structure. The polar state is not formed anymore and a phase transition occurs directly to the axipolar phase (Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 120}, 075301 (2018). The substitution of $^4$He by $^3$He atoms at the aerogel surface changes the potential and adds the exchange scattering of quasiparticles on the aerogel strands. A calculation shows that both of these effects can decrease the degree of anisotropy of scattering and suppress the polar phase formation. The derived anisotropy of the spin diffusion coefficient in globally anisotropic aerogel is determined by the same parameter which controls the polar state emergence which allows one to check the effect of anisotropy change for different types of covering.

Measurements of ultrafast spin-profiles and spin-diffusion properties in the domain wall area at a metal/ferromagnetic film interface

Exciting a ferromagnetic material with an ultrashort IR laser pulse is known to induce spin dynamics by heating the spin system and by ultrafast spin diffusion processes. Here, we report on measurements of spin-profiles and spin diffusion properties in the vicinity of domain walls in the interface region between a metallic Al layer and a ferromagnetic Co/Pd thin film upon IR excitation. We followed the ultrafast temporal evolution by means of an ultrafast resonant magnetic scattering experiment in surface scattering geometry, which enables us to exploit the evolution of the domain network within a 1/e distance of 3 nm to 5 nm from the Al/FM film interface. We observe a magnetization-reversal close to the domain wall boundaries that becomes more pronounced closer to the Al/FM film interface. This magnetization-reversal is driven by the different transport properties of majority and minority carriers through a magnetically disordered domain network. Its finite lateral extension has allowed us to measure the ultrafast spin-diffusion coefficients and ultrafast spin velocities for majority and minority carriers upon IR excitation.

Spectrum of spin waves in cold polarized gases

The spin dynamics of cold polarized gases are investigated using the Boltzmann equation. The dispersion relation for spin waves (transverse component of the magnetic moment) and the spin diffusion coefficient of the longitudinal component of the magnetic moment are calculated without using fitting parameters. The spin wave frequency and the diffusion coefficient for rubidium atoms are estimated numerically.

Spin transport in epitaxial graphene on the C-terminated (0001¯)-face of silicon carbide

We performed a temperature dependent study of the charge and spin transport properties of epitaxial graphene on the C-terminated (0001¯) face of silicon carbide (SiC), a system without a carbon buffer layer between the graphene and the SiC. Using spin Hanle precession in the nonlocal geometry, we measured a spin relaxation length of λS = 0.7 μm at room temperature, lower than in exfoliated graphene. We show that the charge and spin diffusion coefficient, DC and DS, respectively, increasingly deviate from each other during electrical measurements up to a difference of a factor 4. Thus, we show that a model of localized states that was previously used to explain DC ≠ DS, can also be applied to epitaxial graphene systems without a carbon buffer layer. We attribute the effect to charge trap states in the interface between the graphene and the SiC.

Spin transport in undoped InGaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well studied via spin photocurrent excited by circularly polarized light.

The spin diffusion and drift at different excitation wavelengths and different temperatures have been studied in undoped InGaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well (MQW). The spin polarization was created by optical spin orientation using circularly polarized light, and the reciprocal spin Hall effect was employed to measure the spin polarization current. We measured the ratio of the spin diffusion coefficient to the mobility of spin-polarized carriers. From the wavelength dependence of the ratio, we found that the spin diffusion and drift of holes became as important as electrons in this undoped MQW, and the ratio for light holes was much smaller than that for heavy holes at room temperature. From the temperature dependence of the ratio, the correction factors for the common Einstein relationship for spin-polarized electrons and heavy holes were firstly obtained to be 93 and 286, respectively.