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Chiral Mesostructured NiO Films with Spin Polarisation
Author(s) -
Bai Te,
Ai Jing,
Liao Liyang,
Luo Junwei,
Song Cheng,
Duan Yingying,
Han Lu,
Che Shunai
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.202101069
Subject(s) - chirality (physics) , circular dichroism , condensed matter physics , spin (aerodynamics) , symmetry breaking , materials science , magnetic circular dichroism , chemistry , chemical physics , crystallography , chiral symmetry breaking , physics , thermodynamics , astronomy , spectral line , quantum mechanics , nambu–jona lasinio model
Spin polarisation is found in the centrosymmetric nonferromagnetic crystals, chiral mesostructured NiO films (CMNFs), fabricated through the symmetry‐breaking effect of a chiral molecule. Two levels of chirality were identified: primary nanoflakes with atomically twisted crystal lattices and secondary helical stacking of the nanoflakes. Spin polarisation of the CMNFs was confirmed by chirality‐dependent magnetic‐tip conducting atomic force microscopy (mc‐AFM) and magnetic field‐independent magnetic circular dichroism (MCD). Electron transfer in the symmetry‐breaking electric field was speculated to create chirality‐dependent effective magnetic fields. The asymmetric spin–orbit coupling (SOC) generated by effective magnetic fields selectively modifies the opposite spin motion in the antipodal CMNFs. Our findings provide fundamental insights for directional spin control in unprecedented functional inorganic materials.