Spin-valley Polarization Research Articles

Photo- and exchange-field controlled spin and valley polarized transport in a normal/antiferromagnetic/normal (N/AF/N) junction based on transition metal dichalcogenides

Abstract We theoretically investigate spin- and valley-polarized transport within a normal/antiferromagnetic/normal (N/AF/N) junction based on transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), under the influence of off-resonance circularly polarized light and gate voltage. Antiferromagnetism modulates spin states and the effective gap, reducing the spin gap for one state while increasing it for the opposite, resulting in a broad spin polarization and a controlled gap. Off-resonance circularly polarized light adjusts the valley degree of freedom and the effective gap, providing a wide range of valley polarization. Harnessing the strong spin- orbit coupling in TMDs enables perfect spin-valley polarization in the proposed junction across a wide range of Fermi energies through AF and/or off-resonance light manipulation. AF manipulation effectively narrows the band gap of TMDs at lower light energies, enhancing potential applications of the proposed junction for spin-valley filtering.

Texture-Induced Strain in a WS2 Single Layer to Monitor Spin-Valley Polarization.

Nanoscale-engineered surfaces induce regulated strain in atomic layers of 2D materials that could be useful for unprecedented photonics applications and for storing and processing quantum information. Nevertheless, these strained structures need to be investigated extensively. Here, we present texture-induced strain distribution in single-layer WS2 (1L-WS2) transferred over Si/SiO2 (285 nm) substrate. The detailed nanoscale landscapes and their optical detection are carried out through Atomic Force Microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and optical spectroscopy. Remarkable differences have been observed in the WS2 sheet localized in the confined well and at the periphery of the cylindrical geometry of the capped engineered surface. Raman spectroscopy independently maps the whole landscape of the samples, and temperature-dependent helicity-resolved photoluminescence (PL) experiments (off-resonance excitation) show that suspended areas sustain circular polarization from 150 K up to 300 K, in contrast to supported (on un-patterned area of Si/SiO2) and strained 1L-WS2. Our study highlights the impact of the dielectric environment on the optical properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials, providing valuable insights into the selection of appropriate substrates for implementing atomically thin materials in advanced optoelectronic devices.

Multiferroicity and Topology in Twisted Transition Metal Dichalcogenides.

Van der Waals heterostructures have recently emerged as an exciting platform for investigating the effects of strong electronic correlations, including various forms of magnetic or electrical orders. Here, we perform an unbiased exact diagonalization study of the effects of interactions on topological flat bands of twisted transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) at odd integer fillings. For hole-filling ν_{h}=1, we find that the Chern insulator phase, expected from interaction-induced spin-valley polarization of the bare bands, is quite fragile, and gives way to spontaneous multiferroic order-coexisting ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism, in the presence of long-range Coulomb repulsion. We provide a simple real-space picture to understand the phase diagram as a function of interaction range and strength. Our findings establish twisted TMDs as a novel and highly tunable platform for multiferroicity, and we outline a potential route towards electrical control of magnetism in the multiferroic phase.

Strain engineering the spin-valley coupling of the R-stacking sliding ferroelectric bilayer 2H-VX2 (X = S, Se, Te)

The emergence of magnetic transition metal dichalcogenides has significantly advanced the development of valleytronics due to the spontaneous breaking of time-reversal symmetry and space-inversion symmetry. However, the lack of regulation methods has prevented researchers from exploring their potential applications. Herein, we propose to use strain engineering to control the spin-valley coupling in the sliding ferroelectric bilayer 2H-VX2 (X = S, Se, Te). Four multiferroic states are constructed by combining the sliding ferroelectricity and antiferromagnetism in the R-stacking bilayer VX2, where the spin and valley polarizations are coupled together from the layer-dependent spin-polarized band structures. By applying a small external strain or pressure on the out-of-plane van der Waals direction, we predicted that there is an antiferromagnetic to magnetic transition in the bilayer VX2, leading to the interesting spin-polarized and chiral circularly polarized radiation at K+ and K- valleys, similar to those found in the magnetic monolayer. To comprehend the coupling between various degrees of freedom in these multiferroic systems, we have developed an effective k·p model. This model unveils a linear relationship between the electric polarization generated by interlayer sliding and the energy difference of the valence band maximum at K+ and K- valleys. Thus, providing an alternate method to measure the electric polarization in the sliding ferroelectrics. Based on the strong coupling between the strain, spin-valley, and electric polarization, it is likely to use the strain to control the interesting emerging properties of 2H-VX2 such as the anomalous valley Hall effect.

Spin-valley polarization and tunneling magnetoresistance in monomer, dimer, and trimer magnetic silicene superlattices

Monomer, dimer and trimer semiconductor superlattices are an alternative for bandgap engineering due to the possibility of duplicate, triplicate, and in general multiply the number of minibands and minigaps in a specific energy region. Here, we show that monomer, dimer, and trimer magnetic silicene superlattices (MSSLs) can be the basis for tunable magnetoresistive devices due to the multiplication of the peaks of the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR). In addition, these structures can serve as spin-valleytronic devices due to the formation of two well-defined spin-valley polarization states by appropriately adjusting the superlattice structural parameters. We obtain these conclusions by studying the spin-valley polarization and TMR of monomer, dimer, and trimer MSSLs. The magnetic unit cell is structured with one seed A with positive magnetization, and one, two, or three seeds B with variable magnetization. The number of B seeds defines the monomer, dimer, and trimer superlattice, while its magnetic orientation positive or negative the parallel (PM) or antiparallel magnetization (AM) superlattice configuration. The transfer matrix method and the Landauer–Büttiker formalism are employed to obtain the transmission and transport properties, respectively. We find multiplication of TMR peaks in staircase fashion according to the number of B seeds in the superlattice unit cell. This multiplication is related to the multiplication of the minibands which reflects as multiplication of the descending envelopes of the conductance. We also find well-defined polarization states for both PM and AM by adjusting asymmetrically the width and height of the barrier-well in seeds A and B.

Prediction of large spin-valley polarization in the Janus 2H–WSSe monolayer on VN magnetic substrate

Two-dimensional heterostructures based on transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) exhibit broad application prospects in valleytronics due to the space-reversal symmetry breaking and strong spin–orbit coupling. In this work, the electronic structure, magnetic anisotropy and valley polarization of 2H–WSSe/VN van der Waals heterostructure under various interlayer spacings, magnetic angle and in-plane strain are investigated in detail by first-principles calculations. The stacked configuration of Se-C2-1 with most stable structure shows the largest valley polarization of 386.5[Formula: see text]meV. By adjusting the interlayer spacing of heterostructure, the largest valley polarization of 702.7[Formula: see text]meV appears in Se-C2-1 stacked configuration with interlayer spacing of 2.24 Å. The magnetic angle [Formula: see text] exhibits significant effects on valley polarization and magnetic anisotropy of 2H–WSSe/VN heterostructures. The stability and valley polarization of 2H–WSSe/VN heterostructure decrease after the in-plane biaxial strain is applied. The large and tunable valley polarization as well as magnetic anisotropy in the 2H–WSSe/VN heterostructures make it potential applications in valleytronic devices.

Valley-Coherent Quantum Anomalous Hall State in AB-Stacked MoTe2/WSe2 Bilayers

Moiré materials provide fertile ground for the correlated and topological quantum phenomena. Among them, the quantum anomalous Hall (QAH) effect, in which the Hall resistance is quantized even under zero magnetic field, is a direct manifestation of the intrinsic topological properties of a material and an appealing attribute for low-power electronics applications. The QAH effect has been observed in both graphene and transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) moiré materials. It is thought to arise from the interaction-driven valley polarization of the narrow moiré bands. Here, we show that the newly discovered QAH state in AB-stacked MoTe2/WSe2 moiré bilayers is not valley polarized but valley coherent. The layer- and helicity-resolved optical spectroscopy measurement reveals that the QAH ground state possesses spontaneous spin (valley) polarization aligned (antialigned) in two TMD layers. In addition, saturation of the out-of-plane spin polarization in both layers occurs only under high magnetic fields, supporting a canted spin texture. Our results call for a new mechanism for the QAH effect and highlight the potential of TMD moiré materials with strong electronic correlations and spin-orbit interactions for exotic topological states. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

A new charge transfer pathway in the MoSe2-WSe2 heterostructure under the conditions of B-excitons being resonantly pumped.

Most transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) heterostructures (HSs) exhibit a type II band alignment, leading to a charge transfer process accompanied by the transfer of spin-valley polarization and spontaneous formation of interlayer excitons. This unique band structure facilitates achieving a longer exciton lifetime and extended spin-valley polarization lifetime. However, the mechanism of charge transfer in type II TMD HSs is not fully comprehended. Here, the ultrafast charge transfer process is studied in MoSe2-WSe2 HS via valley-solved broadband pump-probe spectroscopy. Under the conditions of B-excitons of WSe2 and MoSe2 being resonantly pumped, a new charge transfer pathway through the higher energy state associated with the B-exciton is found. Meanwhile, the holes (electrons) in the WSe2 (MoSe2) layer of MoSe2-WSe2 HS produce obvious spin-valley polarization even under the condition of B-exciton of WSe2 (MoSe2) being resonantly pumped, and the lifetime can reach tens of ps, which is in stark contrast to the absence of A-exciton spin-valley polarization in monolayer WSe2 (MoSe2) under the same pumping condition. The results deepen the insight into the charge transfer process in type II TMD HSs and show the great potential of TMD HSs in the application of spin-valley electronics devices.

High-efficiency spin and valley filter in a monolayer WSe2 superlattice modulated by an anti-handed off-resonance circularly polarized light

We have theoretically studied spin and valley transport properties in an optically-controlled electromagnetic superlattice based on monolayer WSe2. Owing to the regulation of the anti-handed off-resonance circularly polarized light, we find that spin- and valley-dependent line-type resonant peaks appear in the transport forbidden region for small incident angles, so that high-efficiency spin-valley polarization can be obtained. The result indicates that the high-efficiency spin and valley filter can be more conveniently implemented based on the 2D transition metal dichalcogenides superlattice. In addition, the number of spin- and valley-dependent line-type resonant peaks is tunable using an incident angle, gate voltage and the width of the modulated regions.

Tunable valley polarization and magneto-crystal anisotropy in two-dimensional VI3/WSe2 Van der Waals heterostructure

In this work, the effects of magnetic proximity coupling on electronic structures, valley polarization and magneto-crystal anisotropy of VI3/WSe2 heterostructure are studied in detail based on density functional theory. The results show that the spin-valley polarization characters of WSe2 monolayer can be induced by the proximity effect of ferromagnetic VI3 monolayer. Based on the effective Hamiltonian [Formula: see text] model, a large valley polarization of 8.7[Formula: see text]meV is observed, which is mainly contributed by the SOC effect and not magnetic exchange field. Meanwhile, the magneto-crystal anisotropy of VI3 layer is also obviously altered from the [100] to [001] magnetic axis compared to the isolated VI3 monolayer. The reduction in the interlayer space strengths the W–V atomic coupling, resulting in a significant increase in the spin and valley polarization. Compression strain shows weakening effect on the valley polarization, while the tensile strain largely enhances the valley polarization of VI3/WSe2 heterostructure, which can reach the maximum value of 29.1[Formula: see text]meV at the tensile strain of 8%. The V spin direction ([Formula: see text]) has significant effect on valley polarization of WSe2 layer, which is positively correlated with the magnetization strength of V atom in the vertical direction. Furthermore, constructing the VI3/WSe2/VI3 sandwich heterostructure can induce a larger valley polarization, which can reach a maximum value of 32.4[Formula: see text]meV. These results indicate that the VI3/WSe2 heterostructure is a potential candidate for valleytronics.

Optimization of the tunneling magnetoresistance and spin-valley polarization in complex magnetic silicene structures

Aperiodic order is ubiquitous in nature and quite relevant in science and technology. There are extensive works in aperiodic structures studying fundamental characteristics in physical properties, such as fractality, self-similarity, and fragmentation. However, there are fewer reports in which aperiodicity signifies an improvement in physical quantities with practical applications. Here, we show that the aperiodicity of fractal or self-similar type optimizes the tunneling magnetoresistance and spin-valley polarization of magnetic silicene structures, raising the prospects of spin-valleytronics. We reach this conclusion by studying the spin-valley-dependent transport properties of complex (Cantor-like) magnetic silicene structures within the lines of the transfer matrix method and the Landauer–Büttiker formalism. We find that the self-similar arrangement of magnetic barriers in conjunction with structural asymmetry reduces the conductance oscillations typical of periodic magnetic silicene superlattices and more importantly makes the K′-spin-down conductance component dominant, resulting in nearly perfect positive and negative spin-valley polarization states accessible by simply reversing the magnetization direction. The tunneling magnetoresistance is not as prominent as in periodic magnetic silicene superlattices; however, it is better than in single magnetic junctions. Furthermore, the optimization of the spin-valley-dependent transport properties caused by the complex structure is superior than the corresponding one reported in typical aperiodic structures, such as Fibonacci and Thue–Morse magnetic silicene superlattices.

Chirality and correlations in the spontaneous spin-valley polarization of rhombohedral multilayer graphene

Chirality and correlations in the spontaneous spin-valley polarization of rhombohedral multilayer graphene

Perfect control of spin, valley and spin-valley-coupled currents in bilayer graphene on WSe2 magnetic junction: Effect of spin-valley dependent Fermi level and energy gap

We investigate the spin-valley dependent transport properties in a gated bilayer graphene (BG) junction placed on top of WSe2. By means of layer-dependent proximity, the spin–orbit interaction (SOI) is induced in the bottom layer, while the top layer is induced into ferromagnetism by a magnetic insulator. As a result of these differing properties, the Fermi level and energy gap become spin-valley dependent, which could lead to controllable spin- and valley-dependent filtering in the BG system. Our findings predict perfect spin-valley polarization control through gate control, given specific energy and electric field conditions, as well as spin-valley-coupled and spin currents when both the electric-field-induced energy gap and the exchange energy are equal to the SOI strength. We predict that there will be very highly sensitive gate control of −100% to + 100% of spin-valley-coupled polarization for large barrier thickness. Additionally, we predict 100% valley polarization can be controlled by the gate when the exchange energy is equal to the SOI. Furthermore, we found that the performance of the junction to control the polarizations can be enhanced by increasing the thickness of the junction. This work reveals the potential of the BG/WSe2 hybrid structure for spin-valley-current-based electronics, such as spin-, valley-, and spin-valley field-effect transistors.

Two-dimensional valleytronic semiconductor with spontaneous spin and huge valley polarization in monolayer MnCoO6Bi2

Two-dimensional valleytronic semiconductor with spontaneous spin and huge valley polarization in monolayer MnCoO6Bi2

Tunable valley characteristics of WSe2 and WSe2/VSe2 heterostructure

Information technology can be improved by using the magnetic proximity effect to control two-dimensional valleytronics. Ferrovalley materials attract wide attention because of spontaneous valley polarization and magnetism. Here, the first-principles density functional theory has been used to examine the valley characteristics of monolayer WSe2 caused by the ferrovalley VSe2 substrate. The results demonstrate that monolayer WSe2 experiences the largest spin and absolute valley splitting at energies of 466 and 8.223 meV, respectively. With the k•p model, the effective Zeeman magnetic field of 73.36 T was found for the most stable configuration. More intriguingly, due to the ferrovalley nature of VSe2 substrates, just one valley state at the K' point exhibits a single valley-dependent optical transition in WSe2/VSe2 heterostructure. Additionally, the strain is applied to modify the spin-valley splitting. With the in-plane strain effect, the sign-reversible with the reversed spin state is obtained in biaxial strain, and a fascinating type-I to type-III band alignment transition occurs in the WSe2/VSe2, which intensifies the valley splitting. In vertical strain, the pure spin-valley polarization of the WSe2/VSe2 heterostructure can be observed. Ferrovalley substrates provide new opportunities for valleytronics applications.

Coupled Spin-Valley, Rashba Effect, and Hidden Spin Polarization in WSi2N4 Family.

Using first-principles calculations, we report the electronic properties with a special focus on the band splitting in the WSi2N4 class of materials. Due to the broken inversion symmetry and strong spin-orbit coupling, we detect coupled spin-valley effects at the corners of the first Brillouin zone (BZ). Additionally, we observe cubically and linearly split bands around the Γ and M points, respectively. The in-plane mirror symmetry (σh) and reduced symmetry of the arbitrary k-point, enforce the persistent spin textures (PST) to occur in full BZ. We induce the Rashba splitting by breaking the σh through an out-of-plane external electric field (EEF). The inversion asymmetric site point group of the W atom introduces the hidden spin polarization in centrosymmetric layered bulk counterparts. Low energy k.p models demonstrate that the PST along the M-K line is robust to EEF and layer thickness, making them suitable for applications in spintronics and valleytronics.

Band engineering of valleytronics WSe2–MoS2 heterostructures via stacking form, magnetic moment and thickness

Spin-valley polarization and bandgap regulation are critical in the developing of quantum devices. Here, by employing the density functional theory, we investigate the effects of stacking form, thickness and magnetic moment in the electronic structures of WSe2–MoS2 heterostructures. Calculations show that spin-valley polarization maintains in all situations. Increasing thickness of 2H-MoS2 not only tunes the bandgap but also changes the degeneracy of the conduction band minimums (CBM) at K/K 1 points. Gradual increase of micro magnetic moment tunes the bandgap and raises the valence band maximums (VBM) at Γ point. In addition, the regulation of band gap by the thickness of 2H-MoS2 and introduced magnetic moment depends on the stacking type. Results suggest that WSe2–MoS2 heterostructure supports an ideal platform for valleytronics applications. Our methods also give new ways of optical absorption regulation in spin-valley devices.

Quantum anomalous valley Hall effect in ferromagnetic MXenes with asymmetric functionalization.

The potential to detect and manipulate the valley degree of freedom within two-dimensional hexagonal lattices possessing both inversion asymmetry and time-reversal symmetry is theoretically feasible. Intrinsic ferrovalley polarization in MXenes could be induced by asymmetric surface functionalization to break their inversion symmetry and the presence of spin-orbital coupling ensures their time-reversal symmetry. Our results indicate that the ferromagnetic Cr2COF MXene with Janus functionalization becomes an intrinsic Chern insulator with large spin-valley polarization and belongs to the family of quantum anomalous valley Hall effect (QAVHE) materials, based on Berry curvature and edge state calculations. Applying chemical engineering of functionalization to magnetic MXenes allows us to tune the structure-property relationship in 2D layers to obtain desirable spin-valley coupling. Our theoretical insight into the QAVHE on magnetic MXenes with asymmetry functionalization provides a new opportunity for valleytronics and spintronics.

Tunneling magnetoresistance and spin-valley polarization of aperiodic magnetic silicene superlattices

Magnetic silicene superlattices (MSSLs) are versatile structures with spin-valley polarization and tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) capabilities. However, the oscillating transport properties related to the superlattice periodicity impede stable spin-valley polarization states reachable by reversing the magnetization direction. Here, we show that aperiodicity can be used to improve the spin-valley polarization and TMR by reducing the characteristic conductance oscillations of periodic MSSLs (P-MSSLs). Using the Landauer–Büttiker formalism and the transfer matrix method, we investigate the spin-valley polarization and the TMR of Fibonacci (F-) and Thue–Morse (TM-) MSSLs as typical aperiodic superlattices. Our findings indicate that aperiodic superlattices with higher disorder provide better spin-valley polarization and TMR values. In particular, TM-MSSLs reduce considerably the conductance oscillations giving rise to two well-defined spin-valley polarization states and a better TMR than F- and P-MSSLs. F-MSSLs also improve the spin-valley polarization and TMR, however they depend strongly on the parity of the superlattice generation.

Spin-valley polarized transport in a field-controllable bilayer silicene superlattice

We have theoretically investigated the spin-valley asymmetric transport of massive Dirac fermions in the field-controllable bilayer silicene superlattices. The spin-valley dependent ballistic transmission, conductance, and polarization have been systematically calculated by formulating the scattering matrix method for the completed four-band low-energy effective Hamiltonian. Our results uncover that for a single valley transport, near-perfect spin polarization and its perfect switching could be efficiently modulated by the gate field engineering. Under the one-dimensional periodic field modulation, two types of flat bands with less dispersion and, importantly, the perfect contrast in the spin-dependent subbands are observed for the bilayer silicene superlattice. Together with its larger spin-orbit coupling and better stability, these spin-valley asymmetric characteristics engineered by the gate field indicate that the field-controllable bilayer silicene could be a potential component candidate to achieve a fully spin-valley polarized beam for quantum logic applications.