Tunable inverse spin Hall effect in nanometer-thick platinum films by ionic gating.

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Spintronics

Background:

• Electric gating effectively modulates properties in semiconductors and insulators via charge accumulation.
• Conventional metals were previously thought unsuitable for such modulation due to high carrier densities.
• Advances in ultrathin cobalt suggested control over metallic properties might be achievable.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the feasibility of electric gating for modulating properties in conventional metals.
• To explore the control of the inverse spin Hall effect in ultrathin metallic systems.
• To demonstrate the potential for spintronics applications through tunable spin-to-charge conversion.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of ultrathin platinum films.
• Application of electric gating to modulate material properties.
• Measurement of the inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE).

Main Results:

• Achieved reversible modulation of the inverse spin Hall effect by up to two orders of magnitude in ultrathin platinum.
• Demonstrated that electric gating is effective in modulating metallic properties, contrary to previous beliefs.
• Showcased significant control over spin-to-charge conversion in a metallic system.

Conclusions:

• Electric gating can indeed modulate properties in conventional metals, specifically the inverse spin Hall effect in platinum.
• This control over spin-to-charge conversion is vital for developing next-generation spintronic and electronic devices.
• The findings open new avenues for utilizing electric fields to manipulate spin currents in metallic systems.