Terahertz time-domain signatures of the inverse Edelstein effect in topological-insulator|ferromagnet heterostructures

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Bierhance, Genaro, In, Chihun, Rongione, Enzo, Rouzegar, Reza, Gueckstock, Oliver, Longo, Emanuele, Baringthon, Laëtitia, Reyren, Nicolas, Lebrun, Romain, George, Jean-Marie, Tsipas, Polychronis, Wolf, Martin, Seifert, Tom S., Mantovan, Roberto, Jaffrès, Henri, Dimoulas, Athanasios, Kampfrath, Tobias
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2025
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author Bierhance, Genaro
In, Chihun
Rongione, Enzo
Rouzegar, Reza
Gueckstock, Oliver
Longo, Emanuele
Baringthon, Laëtitia
Reyren, Nicolas
Lebrun, Romain
George, Jean-Marie
Tsipas, Polychronis
Wolf, Martin
Seifert, Tom S.
Mantovan, Roberto
Jaffrès, Henri
Dimoulas, Athanasios
Kampfrath, Tobias
author_facet Bierhance, Genaro
In, Chihun
Rongione, Enzo
Rouzegar, Reza
Gueckstock, Oliver
Longo, Emanuele
Baringthon, Laëtitia
Reyren, Nicolas
Lebrun, Romain
George, Jean-Marie
Tsipas, Polychronis
Wolf, Martin
Seifert, Tom S.
Mantovan, Roberto
Jaffrès, Henri
Dimoulas, Athanasios
Kampfrath, Tobias
contents Three-dimensional topological insulators possess topologically protected surface states with spin-momentum locking, which enable spin-charge-current interconversion (SCI) by the inverse Edelstein effect (IEE). However, it remains experimentally challenging to separate the surface-related IEE from the bulk-type inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE). Here, we search for distinct time-domain signatures of the two SCI phenomena in a $\mathcal{F}$|TI model stack of a ferromagnetic-metal layer $\mathcal{F}$ (Co and Fe) and a topological-insulator layer TI (Bi$_2$Te$_3$, SnBi$_2$Te$_4$ and Bi$_{1-x}$Sb$_x$ with $x$ = 0.15 and 0.3), where the focus is on Bi$_2$Te$_3$. A femtosecond laser pulse serves to induce a transient spin voltage $μ_s^{\mathcal{F}}$ in $\mathcal{F}$ and, thus, drive an ultrafast spin current out of $\mathcal{F}$. SCI results in a transverse charge current with a sheet density $I_c$ that is detected by sampling the emitted terahertz electric field. Analysis of the dynamics of $I_c(t)$ vs time $t$ relative to $μ_s^{\mathcal{F}}(t)$ reveals two components with distinct time scales: (i) a quasi-instantaneous response and (ii) a longer-lived response with a relaxation time of 270 fs, which is independent of the chosen $\mathcal{F}$ material. Component (i) is consistently ascribed to the ISHE. In contrast, we interpret component (ii) as a signature of interfacial spin accumulation and the IEE at the $\mathcal{F}$/Bi$_2$Te$_3$ interface, with a fraction of $< 10^{-2}$ of the incident spins participating. This assignment is fully consistent with respect to its dynamics and magnitude. We rate other possible signal contributions, such as spin trapping in intermediate states, as less likely. Our results show that the femtosecond dynamics of photocurrents provide important insights into the mechanisms of spin transport and SCI in $\mathcal{F}$|TI stacks.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2506_22327
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Terahertz time-domain signatures of the inverse Edelstein effect in topological-insulator|ferromagnet heterostructures
Bierhance, Genaro
In, Chihun
Rongione, Enzo
Rouzegar, Reza
Gueckstock, Oliver
Longo, Emanuele
Baringthon, Laëtitia
Reyren, Nicolas
Lebrun, Romain
George, Jean-Marie
Tsipas, Polychronis
Wolf, Martin
Seifert, Tom S.
Mantovan, Roberto
Jaffrès, Henri
Dimoulas, Athanasios
Kampfrath, Tobias
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
Three-dimensional topological insulators possess topologically protected surface states with spin-momentum locking, which enable spin-charge-current interconversion (SCI) by the inverse Edelstein effect (IEE). However, it remains experimentally challenging to separate the surface-related IEE from the bulk-type inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE). Here, we search for distinct time-domain signatures of the two SCI phenomena in a $\mathcal{F}$|TI model stack of a ferromagnetic-metal layer $\mathcal{F}$ (Co and Fe) and a topological-insulator layer TI (Bi$_2$Te$_3$, SnBi$_2$Te$_4$ and Bi$_{1-x}$Sb$_x$ with $x$ = 0.15 and 0.3), where the focus is on Bi$_2$Te$_3$. A femtosecond laser pulse serves to induce a transient spin voltage $μ_s^{\mathcal{F}}$ in $\mathcal{F}$ and, thus, drive an ultrafast spin current out of $\mathcal{F}$. SCI results in a transverse charge current with a sheet density $I_c$ that is detected by sampling the emitted terahertz electric field. Analysis of the dynamics of $I_c(t)$ vs time $t$ relative to $μ_s^{\mathcal{F}}(t)$ reveals two components with distinct time scales: (i) a quasi-instantaneous response and (ii) a longer-lived response with a relaxation time of 270 fs, which is independent of the chosen $\mathcal{F}$ material. Component (i) is consistently ascribed to the ISHE. In contrast, we interpret component (ii) as a signature of interfacial spin accumulation and the IEE at the $\mathcal{F}$/Bi$_2$Te$_3$ interface, with a fraction of $< 10^{-2}$ of the incident spins participating. This assignment is fully consistent with respect to its dynamics and magnitude. We rate other possible signal contributions, such as spin trapping in intermediate states, as less likely. Our results show that the femtosecond dynamics of photocurrents provide important insights into the mechanisms of spin transport and SCI in $\mathcal{F}$|TI stacks.
title Terahertz time-domain signatures of the inverse Edelstein effect in topological-insulator|ferromagnet heterostructures
topic Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2506.22327