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Rectification of Spin Currents in a Metal/Insulator/Metal Heterostructure
Author(s) -
Yan Yonghong,
Jiang Feng,
Zhao Hui
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
physica status solidi (b)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1521-3951
pISSN - 0370-1972
DOI - 10.1002/pssb.202000450
Subject(s) - condensed matter physics , spintronics , rectification , ferromagnetism , heterojunction , insulator (electricity) , spin polarization , magnetic field , spin (aerodynamics) , anisotropy , spins , spin hall effect , spin pumping , physics , materials science , optoelectronics , electron , voltage , optics , quantum mechanics , thermodynamics
Rectification of spin currents is investigated theoretically in a normal‐metal/ferromagnetic‐insulator/normal‐metal heterostructure. The ferromagnetic insulator is assumed to have an anisotropic parameter of Δ > 1, and thus it is gapped. In the presence of a magnetic field along the z ‐direction, the ground state becomes the one with all spins pointing upward (in the z ‐direction). When a spin‐up polarized current is incident from the left metal, it is suppressed due to spin blockade; however, the spin‐down polarized current can pass through the insulator easily. Thus rectification of spin currents can be realized and it is found that the rectification coefficient can be up to ≈10 (or even higher) in the limit of low temperature or large energy gap. It can be further improved when the spin system is asymmetrically coupled with the metals. The results could be useful in spintronics based on magnetic insulators.