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Optical control of spin-polarized photocurrent in topological insulator thin films

Scientific reports, 2018-10, Vol.8 (1), p.15392-6, Article 15392 [Peer Reviewed Journal]

2018. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License. ;The Author(s) 2018 ;ISSN: 2045-2322 ;EISSN: 2045-2322 ;DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33716-0 ;PMID: 30337573

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  • Title:
    Optical control of spin-polarized photocurrent in topological insulator thin films
  • Author: Takeno, Hiroaki ; Saito, Shingo ; Mizoguchi, Kohji
  • Subjects: Coexistence ; Crystals ; Electrodes ; Thin films
  • Is Part Of: Scientific reports, 2018-10, Vol.8 (1), p.15392-6, Article 15392
  • Description: Dirac electrons in topological insulators (TIs) provide one possible avenue to achieve control of photocurrents and spin currents without the need to apply external fields by utilizing characteristic spin-momentum locking. However, for TI crystals with electrodes it is actually difficult to characterize the net flow of spin-polarized photocurrents because of the coexistence of surface carriers and bulk carriers generated by optical excitations. We demonstrate here that the net flow directions of spin-polarized photocurrents in TI polycrystalline thin films without electrodes can be precisely and intentionally controlled by the polarization of the excitation pulse alone, which is characterized by performing time-domain terahertz (THz) wave measurements and time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr rotation measurements that are non-contact methods. We show that the amplitudes of s-polarized THz waves radiated from photocurrents under right- and left-circularly polarized excitations are inverted relative to one another. Moreover, we observe the inversion of time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr rotation signals between the two excitations. Our results will open the way as innovative methods to control spin-polarized electrons in optoelectronic and spintronic TI devices without the need to apply external fields.
  • Publisher: England: Nature Publishing Group
  • Language: English
  • Identifier: ISSN: 2045-2322
    EISSN: 2045-2322
    DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33716-0
    PMID: 30337573
  • Source: PubMed Central
    ProQuest Central
    DOAJ Directory of Open Access Journals

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