Distribution Of Spin Polarization Research Articles

Enhancing the sensitivity of spin-exchange relaxation-free magnetometers using phase-modulated pump light with external Gaussian noise

An optical pumping scheme is proposed for reducing the gradient of electron spin polarization and suppressing light source noise in a spin-exchange relaxation-free magnetometer. This is achieved by modulating only the phase of a narrow-linewidth pump light field with external Gaussian noise. Compared to the absence of phase modulation, the uniformity of electron spin polarization was improved by over 40%, and the light-frequency noise suppression ratio of the magnetometer was enhanced by 4.3 times. Additionally, the response of the magnetometer was increased by 54%, resulting in a sensitivity of 0.34 fT/Hz1/2 at 30 Hz. The applicability of this scheme can extend to other optical pumping experiments involving large atom ensembles requiring uniform electron spin polarization distribution, which is beneficial for developing ultra-high sensitivity and high stability magnetometers essential for magneto-cardiography and magneto-encephalography research applications.

Mathematical analysis of spin transport in topological insulators to optimize memory devices performance using numerical simulations

Understanding spin transport in topological insulators (TIs) is crucial for the development of spin-based technologies, such as magnetic memory, sensors, and quantum bits. To optimize memory device performance, we developed a comprehensive mathematical model that describes the evolution of spin density, as a function of space and time, taking into account spin-momentum locking, spin-orbit coupling, spin dynamics, and diffusive transport processes (including phonon and impurity scattering). Using numerical simulations (finite element method and Backward Euler Method) implemented in Python, we analyzed the spin transport in TIs. Our study demonstrated a critical dependence of spin transport efficiency on device length, with a maximum efficiency of 75% at a length of 8 micrometers. Beyond a critical length of 10 micrometers, efficiency recovered, reaching 80% at 14 micrometers. We observed oscillatory behavior in spin polarization, with amplitude modulation indicating constructive and destructive interference patterns. The inclusion of spin-orbit coupling and Dirac terms in our model revealed a non-uniform spin polarization distribution, with a 30% increase in polarization near the center. Defects and boundaries significantly impacted spin transport, reducing polarization by 40% near the defect region. Through optimization, we achieved a 25% increase in spin transport efficiency and a 20% enhancement in memory device performance. Our results demonstrate the crucial role of optimizing device length, material quality, and interface engineering in achieving efficient spin transport and improved memory device performance, paving the way for the development of high-performance spin-based technologies.

Realization of 2D multiferroic with strong magnetoelectric coupling by intercalation: a first-principles high-throughput prediction

The discovery of novel two-dimensional (2D) multiferroic materials is attractive due to their potential for the realization of information storage and logic devices. Although many approaches have been explored to simultaneously introduce ferromagnetic (FM) and ferroelectric (FE) orders into a 2D material, the resulting systems are often plagued by weak magnetoelectric (ME) coupling or limited room-temperature stability. Here, we present a superlattice strategy to construct non-centrosymmetric AM2X4 multiferroic monolayers, i.e., intercalating transition metal ions (A) into the tetragonal-like vacancies of transition metal dichalcogenide bilayers (MX2). Starting from 960 intercalated AM2X4 compounds, our high-throughput calculations have identified 21 multiferroics with robust magnetic order, large FE polarization, low transition barrier, high FE/FM transition temperature, and strong ME coupling. According to the origin of magnetism, we have classified them into twelve type-a, seven type-b, and two type-c multiferroics, which exhibit different ME coupling behavior. During the switching of polarization, the reversal of skyrmions chirality, the transition of the magnetic ground state from FM to antiferromagnetic, and the changes in spin-polarized electron distribution were observed in type-a, type-b, and type-c 2D multiferroic materials, respectively. These results substantially expand the family of 2D ferroic materials and pave an avenue for designing and implementing nonvolatile logic and memory devices.

Laser Thermal Shock Enabling Ultrafast Spin Regulation of MnO2 for Robust Pseudocapacitive Energy Storage

AbstractThe pseudocapacitive performance of MnO2 is intrinsically determined by its electronic structure, especially the spin state. However, the correlation between the electrochemical behavior and the spin state of electrode materials remains ill‐defined, and efficient spin regulation strategies for MnO2 are thus lacking. Herein, the study reports laser thermal shock of electrochemically deposited MnO2 for efficient spin regulation. The combined use of theoretical calculation and experimental investigation indicates that the thermal shock induces oxygen vacancy in MnO2 to reduce spin polarization and delocalize electron distribution. As a result, the electrical conductivity largely increases and the Na+ adsorption is reasonably optimized. By lasering an integrated electrode for only 83 s, a 54% increase of the specific capacitance is observed. For the first time, the pseudocapacitive capability of MnO2 is revealed by in situ electron paramagnetic resonance where the enhanced redox pair is correlated with evolution of Mn2+ during charge/discharge. Moreover, the commercial‐level mass‐loaded electrode also offers a decent performance enhancement after laser treatment, indicating the great prospect of this technology for real applications. This work innovatively correlates the pseudocapacitive performance of MnO2 with its spin state and offers a new avenue to optimize the electrochemical capability through spin regulation.

Electronic and transport properties of boron- and nitrogen-rich graphene nanoribbons based on coronene-like units

Several graphene nanoribbon forms have been obtained from the fusion of different molecular precursors over the last decade. These include a rich set of examples in which heteroatoms substitute carbon at precisely defined sites. Considering this scenario, we employed first-principles calculations to study the electronic and transport properties of coronene-based nanoribbons with boron and nitrogen heteroatoms. We demonstrate that B/N substitution induces marked changes in the electronic properties of these structures in comparison to the full-carbon counterpart. For instance, the systems change from semiconductor to metallic due to levels introduced by the heteroatoms. In addition, non-trivial spin-polarized distributions emerge in selected cases, resulting in systems with a high potential for insertion in spintronic applications. This is further investigated in nanojunctions composed of N-substituted electrodes.

Optical magnetic combination method for suppressing the Rb polarization-induced magnetic gradient in Rb-Xe NMR co-magnetometers.

The Rb polarization-induced magnetic field gradient affects the Xe nuclear spin relaxation properties and degrades the long-term stability of the NMR co-magnetometers. This paper proposes a combination suppressing scheme, which uses the second-order magnetic field gradient coils to compensate for the Rb polarization-induced magnetic gradient under counter-propagating pump beams. Based on the theoretical simulation, we find that the spatial distribution of the Rb polarization-induced magnetic gradient and the magnetic field distribution generated by gradient coils are complementary. The experimental results indicate that the compensation effect is 10% higher under the counter-propagating pump beams scheme compared with the compensation effect under the conventional single beam. Besides, due to a more uniform spatial distribution of electronic spin polarization, the Xe nuclear spin polarizability is improved and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of NMR co-magnetometers could be further enhanced. The study provides an ingenious method for suppressing magnetic gradient in the optically polarized Rb-Xe ensemble, which is expected to improve the performance of the atomic spin co-magnetometers.

A Novel Measurement Method for Spin Polarization Three Axis Spatial Distribution in Spin-Exchange Relaxation Free Atomic Magnetometer

The measurement of atomic spin polarization distribution in spin-exchange relaxation free (SERF) magnetometer is an important topic for improving the sensitivity and consistency of multi-channel magnetic field measurement applications. A novel spin polarization spatial distribution measurement method is presented based on the transient response of the magnetometer after modulating the pumped light with a chopper. Polarization is obtained by a slow-down factor based on the fast spin-exchange interaction effects. Longitudinal and transverse polarization distributions are measured simultaneously without interrupting the operation of the SERF status. Under different oscillating magnetic fields, the spin polarization is measured at the cell centroid. Residual magnetic field inside the magnetometer is obtained from the linear relationship between the precession frequency and the oscillating magnetic field. The one-dimensional polarization distributions in the x, y, and z axes are measured using a digital micromirror device with a resolution of 0.25 cm. The measurement results conform to the Lambert-Bier absorption law and the Gaussian distribution law. Furthermore, 7 × 7 two-dimensional spatial distribution measurements of polarization on the xy and yz planes are performed. Nonuniformity of 1.04 in the xy plane and 1.82 in the yz plane in the built magnetometer. Compared with other measurement methods, the distribution measurement method proposed is independent of optical depth and suitable for low polarization and high polarization applications. Based on the results of the proposed measurement method of spin polarization spatial distribution, further compensation can improve the application consistency of multi-channel magnetic field measurements and improve the sensitivity of single-channel differential measurements.

Demonstration of a high-density alkali-metal atomic magnetometer based on the frequency-symmetrical detuning effect of two pumping lights.

The existence of an approximately uniform and unsaturated electron spin polarization distribution within a high-density alkali-metal vapor is considered of great importance for significantly improving the response amplitude and sensitivity properties of an atomic magnetometer. However, when a high-density alkali-metal vapor is formed, the optical depth is much larger than the value of one, resulting in the electron spin polarization gradient. In this work, it was demonstrated from both numerical simulations and experimental points of view, that by replacing the resonant pumping light with two off-resonant pumping light sources, the signal amplitude of the magnetometer can be doubled. By using this approach, the electron spin polarization gradient can be significantly suppressed and the sensitivity can be improved by more than 10%. The proposed scheme is generally applicable to various optical pumping high-density alkali-metal vapor systems, where a uniform electron spin polarization distribution is required, such as optical pumping co-magnetometers and atomic gyroscopes.

High-throughput screening of dual-atom doped PC6 electrocatalysts for efficient CO2 electrochemical reduction to CH4 by breaking scaling relations

The catalytic activity of the CO2 electrochemical reduction reaction (CO2RR), which is regarded as one of the most promising approach to tackle the current excess carbon emissions problem, is significantly restricted by the scaling relationship between adsorption energy of reaction intermediates. Here, inspired by the concept of multiple active centers, we designed 36 dual-atom catalysts in PC6 monolayer, including 8 homonuclear (M2@PC6, M=Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Pd, and Ag) and 28 heteronuclear (M1M2@PC6) catalysts, to obtain efficient CO2RR catalysts by breaking the inherent limitation of linear scaling relations. After several rounds of screening for catalysts with stability, activity, selectivity through density functional theory (DFT) study, Mn2@PC6 was identified as a promising candidate for deep reduction of CO2 to CH4 with a low limiting potential of -0.31V (vs RHE). The projected density of states analysis demonstrates that the candidates break the linear scaling relationship stemming from the apparent mixing of the O-2p states and metal-3d states. The apparent change of spin polarization and asymmetric charge distribution on the active site of Mn2@PC6 play a crucial role in its superior CO2RR catalytic performance. This work provides a potential strategy from the theoretical perspective for rational design of efficient electrocatalyst by introduction of dual active centers to break the scaling relationship of intermediates.

Electronic properties of boron-rich graphene nanowiggles

A variety of graphene nanoribbons with complex edge structures have been synthesized over the last decade, including a rich set of structures where specific carbon atoms are substituted by heteroatoms. While a majority of existing studies have focused on nitrogen substitution, understanding how substitutional boron affects the electronic structure is a fundamental issue of interest, as boron is expected to offer complementary features relative to nitrogen when compared to carbon. We performed first-principles simulations to investigate the electronic properties of boron-substituted graphitic nanowiggles (GNWs). We show that the insertion of a B heteroatom induces marked changes in the electronic behavior of the nanoribbons, as well as the emergence of non-trivial spin-polarized distributions, resulting in systems with high potential for use in nanoscale devices.

Driven dynamics of a quantum dot electron spin coupled to a bath of higher-spin nuclei

The interplay of optical driving and hyperfine interaction between an electron confined in a quantum dot and its surrounding nuclear spin environment produces a range of interesting physics such as mode-locking. In this work, we go beyond the ubiquitous spin 1/2 approximation for nuclear spins and present a comprehensive theoretical framework for an optically driven electron spin in a self-assembled quantum dot coupled to a nuclear spin bath of arbitrary spin. Using a dynamical mean-field approach, we compute the nuclear spin polarization distribution with and without the quadrupolar coupling. We find that while hyperfine interactions drive dynamic nuclear polarization and mode-locking, quadrupolar couplings counteract these effects. The tension between these mechanisms is imprinted on the steady-state electron spin evolution, providing a way to measure the importance of quadrupolar interactions in a quantum dot. Our results show that higher-spin effects such as quadrupolar interactions can have a significant impact on the generation of dynamic nuclear polarization and how it influences the electron spin evolution.

A new imaging concept in spin polarimetry based on the spin-filter effect.

The concept of an imaging-type 3D spin detector, based on the combination of spin-exchange interactions in the ferromagnetic (FM) film and spin selectivity of the electron-photon conversion effect in a semiconductor heterostructure, is proposed and demonstrated on a model system. This novel multichannel concept is based on the idea of direct transfer of a 2D spin-polarized electron distribution to image cathodoluminescence (CL). The detector is a hybrid structure consisting of a thin magnetic layer deposited on a semiconductor structure allowing measurement of the spatial and polarization-dependent CL intensity from injected spin-polarized free electrons. The idea is to use spin-dependent electron transmission through in-plane magnetized FM film for in-plane spin detection by measuring the CL intensity from recombined electrons transmitted in the semiconductor. For the incoming electrons with out-of-plane spin polarization, the intensity of circularly polarized CL light can be detected from recombined polarized electrons with holes in the semiconductor. In order to demonstrate the ability of the solid-state spin detector in the image-type mode operation, a spin detector prototype was developed, which consists of a compact proximity focused vacuum tube with a spin-polarized electron source [p-GaAs(Cs,O)], a negative electron affinity (NEA) photocathode and the target [semiconductor heterostructure with quantum wells also with NEA]. The injection of polarized low-energy electrons into the target by varying the kinetic energy in the range 0.5-3.0 eV and up to 1.3 keV was studied in image-type mode. The figure of merit as a function of electron kinetic energy and the target temperature is determined. The spin asymmetry of the CL intensity in a ferromagnetic/semiconductor (FM-SC) junction provides a compact optical method for measuring spin polarization of free-electron beams in image-type mode. The FM-SC detector has the potential for realizing multichannel 3D vectorial reconstruction of spin polarization in momentum microscope and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy systems.

Improvement of spin polarization spatial uniformity in optically pumped atomic magnetometers based on counter-propagating pump beams and atomic diffusion

In an optically pumped alkali vapor cell with a high density of atoms, the attenuation of the pump light generates a spatially non-uniform distribution of the electronic spin polarization of alkali atoms, which is detrimental to biomagnetism applications of magnetometers as well as the hyperpolarization of noble gas atoms. Therefore, in this study, we propose a new scheme to generate a nearly uniform, unsaturated spin polarization region based on counter-propagating pump beams and atomic diffusion. A finite element method-based simulation is used to demonstrate the three-dimensional distribution of the spin polarization in a spherical cell. The effects of cell temperature and pump light power on the homogeneity of the spin polarization are studied. The distribution of spin polarization near the center of the cell is experimentally measured and a 1 cm uniform spin polarization region is achieved in the center of the cell. The uniformity of spin polarization in the center region of the cell increased by 50% compared with single beam pumping. The advantage of our proposed scheme is that it can generate an unsaturated uniform region of spin polarization in the center of a cell using a single species of alkali atoms.

Magnetic circular dichroism in hard x-ray Raman scattering as a probe of local spin polarization

We argue that the magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) of the hard x-ray Raman scattering (XRS) could be used as an element selective probe of local spin polarization. The magnitude of the XRS-MCD signal is directly proportional to the local spin polarization when the angle between the incident wavevector and the magnetization vector is $135^{\circ}$ or $-45^{\circ}$. By comparing the experimental observation and the configuration interaction calculation at the $L_{2,3}$ and $M_{2,3}$ edges of ferromagnetic iron, we suggest that the integrated MCD signal in terms of the transferred energy could be used to estimate the local spin moment even in the case where the application of the spin sum-rule in X-ray absorption is questionable. We also point out that XRS-MCD signal could be observed at the $M_{1}$ edge with a magnitude comparable to that at the $M_{2,3}$ edge, although the spin-orbit coupling is absent in the core orbital. By combining the XRS-MCD at various edges, spin polarization distribution depending on the orbital magnetic quantum number would be determined.

Tuning the electronic and magnetic properties of Mn-doped graphene by gas adsorption and effect of external electric field: First-principles study

The effect of gas molecule (H2CO, NO, NO2, O2 and SO2) adsorption on the electronic and magnetic properties of Mn-doped graphene (MnG) is investigated by first-principles calculations in the framework of density functional theory (DFT). Our study reveals that after H2CO, NO, NO2 and SO2 adsorption, MnG transforms from half-metal to semiconductor, and this transformation indicates that MnG’s conductivity is changed significantly. Meanwhile, O2 adsorption has no influence on MnG’s original electronic property. Therefore, the substrate of MnG is highly sensitive to H2CO, NO, NO2 and SO2. The reconfiguration of electron distribution caused by gas adsorption dramatically alters the spin polarization distribution of the combined system, that is, NO2 and H2CO adsorption leads to local spin polarization, whereas O2, NO and SO2 adsorption result in complete spin polarization. In addition, the external electric field (E-field) is varied from −0.50 V/Å to +0.50 V/Å then applied to the adsorption system. A strong interaction is observed between gas and MnG with a positive E-field as reflected in the enhancement of adsorption energy. The interaction is obviously weakened by introducing the E-field in the negative direction. Hence, the adsorption strength and sensitivity of gas on MnG can be effectively tuned by the E-field. The results can serve as useful references for the design of graphene-based gas sensor.

Current-Induced Spin Polarization in Nonmagnetic Semiconductors

The use of spontaneous electron spin polarization in nonmagnetic semiconductors avoids the transport challenges of electron spin injection from magnetic materials as well as packing constraints of small magnets in a dense array. Although the focus of rearch on the spontaneous spin polarization of electrical current has been on spin-orbit fields and their effects, in principle a moving electron gas can be unstable to forming spin-polarized distributions via carrier scattering processes that are independent of the carrier spin. The two required elements for such current-induced spin polarization without spin-orbit interactions are (1) the presence of built-in spatially-varying electric fields, either naturally forming (as in the Gunn effect) or extrinsic (as in a junction with spatially dependent doping) and (2) energy-dependent carrier scattering processes. As spin-orbit interactions are not required for this effect, it should occur in inversion-symmetric materials like silicon that lack zero-field spin splittings and materials like zinc oxide and gallium nitride that lack significant spin-orbit interactions.

Precision mapping the topological bands of 2D spin-orbit coupling with microwave spin-injection spectroscopy

To investigate the band structure is one of the key approaches to study the fundamental properties of a novel material. We report here the precision band mapping of a 2-dimensional (2D) spin-orbit (SO) coupling in an optical lattice. By applying the microwave spin-injection spectroscopy, the band structure and spin-polarization distribution are achieved simultaneously. The band topology is also addressed with observing the band gap close and re-open at the Dirac points. Furthermore, the lattice depth and the Raman coupling strength are precisely calibrated with relative errors in the order of 10-3. Our approach could also be applied for exploring the exotic topological phases with even higher dimensional system.

Spatial variation of dynamic nuclear spin polarization probed by the non-local Hanle effect

The spatial distribution of dynamic nuclear spin polarization (DNP) has been investigated in a lateral all-semiconductor spin-injection device based on a (Ga,Mn)As/n+-GaAs spin-Esaki diode. The DNP induced by the hyperfine interaction has been probed via satellite peaks in non-local Hanle-type spin precession signals, indicating the recovery of electron spin polarization. A quantitative analysis using the self-consistent calculation reproduces the magnetic field position of the satellite peaks as a function of spin injection bias and injector-detector separation. The distance dependence of the Hanle curves reveals that the spin-lattice relaxation rather than the hyperfine interaction is the dominant mechanism of nuclear spin relaxation in the non-local region.

Spin polarization properties of benzene/graphene with transition metals as dopants: First principles calculations

First principles calculations are used to study the spin polarization properties of benzene molecule adsorbed on the graphene surface which doped with transition metals including Mn, Cr, Fe, Co, and Ni. The densities of states (DOS) of the benzene molecule can be induced to be spin split at the Fermi level only when it is adsorbed on Mn-, and Cr-doped graphene. The p-orbital of the benzene molecule will interact with the d orbital of the doped atoms, which will generate new spin coupling states and lead to obvious spin polarization of the benzene molecule. The spin-polarized density distributions as well as the differential charge density distributions of the systems also suggest that Mn-doped graphene will induce bigger spin polarization than that of Cr-doped graphene. Benzene molecule could be spin-polarized when it is adsorbed on the graphene surface with transition metal dopants, which could be a new method for researching graphene-based organic spintronic devices.

In Search of Unambiguous Evidence of the Fulde–Ferrell–Larkin–Ovchinnikov State in Quasi-Low Dimensional Superconductors

In layered conductors with a sufficiently weak interlayer coupling in-plane magnetic field cause only small diamagnetic currents and the orbital depairing is strongly suppressed. Therefore, the Zeeman effect predominantly governs the spin-singlet superconductivity making the formation of the spatially modulated Fulde–Ferrell–Larkin–Ovchinnikov (FFLO) phase possible in such materials. Despite decades of strenuous effort, this state still remains a profound mystery. In the last several years, however, there have been observed several hints indicating the experimental realization of the FFLO state in organic layered superconductors. The emergence of the FFLO phase has been demonstrated mainly based on thermodynamic quantities or microscopically with spin polarization distribution that exhibit anomalies within the superconducting state in the presence of the in-plane magnetic field. However, the direct observation of superconducting order parameter modulation is so far missing. Recently, there have been proposed theoretically several hallmark signatures for FFLO phase, which are a direct consequence of its main feature, the spatial modulation of the order parameter, and hence can provide incontrovertible evidence of FFLO. In this article, a review of these signatures and the underlying theoretical framework is given with the purpose to summarize the results obtained so far, omitting duplications, and to emphasize the ideas and physics behind them.