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Updated: May 2, 2026

Experimental Methods for Spin- and Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy Combined with Polarization-Variable Laser
Published on: June 28, 2018
Photoelectron spin-polarization control in the topological insulator Bi2Se3
Z-H Zhu1, C N Veenstra1, S Zhdanovich1
1Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada.
Abstract:
We study the manipulation of the spin polarization of photoemitted electrons in Bi2Se3 by spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. General rules are established that enable controlling the photoelectron spin-polarization. We demonstrate the ± 100% reversal of a single component of the measured spin-polarization vector upon the rotation of light polarization, as well as full three-dimensional manipulation by varying experimental configuration and photon energy. While a material-specific density-functional theory analysis is needed for the quantitative description, a minimal yet fully generalized two-atomic-layer model qualitatively accounts for the spin response based on the interplay of optical selection rules, photoelectron interference, and topological surface-state complex structure. It follows that photoelectron spin-polarization control is generically achievable in systems with a layer-dependent, entangled spin-orbital texture.
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