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Observation of the spin Nernst effect.
S Meyer1,2, Y-T Chen3,4, S Wimmer5
1Walther-Meißner-Institut, Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Walther-Meißner-Straße 8, 85748 Garching, Germany.
Nature Materials
|September 12, 2017
Summary
Researchers observed the spin Nernst effect, completing the understanding of pure spin current transport. This discovery, using platinum thin films, reveals a new phenomenon comparable to the spin Hall effect.
Area of Science:
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Spintronics
- Materials Science
Background:
- The study of pure spin current transport is crucial for spintronics.
- The spin Hall effect, spin Seebeck effect, and spin Peltier effect have been experimentally verified.
- The spin Nernst effect remained theoretically proposed, lacking experimental observation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally observe and characterize the spin Nernst effect.
- To complete the understanding of fundamental spin current phenomena.
- To investigate the relationship between the spin Nernst effect and other spin transport effects.
Main Methods:
- Generating a pure transverse spin current in a platinum (Pt) thin film using a longitudinal temperature gradient.
- Utilizing the magnetization-orientation-dependent spin transfer to an adjacent yttrium iron garnet (YIG) layer for readout.
- Measuring the controlled change in longitudinal and transverse thermopower voltage.
Main Results:
- Experimental observation of the spin Nernst effect in a Pt thin film.
- Demonstration of converting the spin Nernst current into measurable thermopower voltage.
- The spin Nernst effect in Pt was found to be comparable in magnitude but opposite in sign to the spin Hall effect.
Conclusions:
- The experimental observation of the spin Nernst effect fills a critical gap in the understanding of pure spin current transport.
- The findings highlight the significance of the spin Nernst effect in spintronic applications.
- First-principles calculations corroborated the experimental results, confirming the nature and magnitude of the spin Nernst effect in Pt.
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