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Updated: Nov 10, 2025

Experimental Methods for Spin- and Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy Combined with Polarization-Variable Laser
Published on: June 28, 2018
Spin-Polarized Tunable Photocurrents
Matías Berdakin1,2, Esteban A Rodríguez-Mena3, Luis E F Foa Torres3
1INFIQC (CONICET-UNC), Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón Argentina, 5000 Córdoba, Argentina.
Abstract:
Harnessing the unique features of topological materials for the development of a new generation of topological based devices is a challenge of paramount importance. Using Floquet scattering theory combined with atomistic models we study the interplay among laser illumination, spin, and topology in a two-dimensional material with spin-orbit coupling. Starting from a topological phase, we show how laser illumination can selectively disrupt the topological edge states depending on their spin. This is manifested by the generation of pure spin photocurrents and spin-polarized charge photocurrents under linearly and circularly polarized laser illumination, respectively. Our results open a path for the generation and control of spin-polarized photocurrents.
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