Spintronics for future information technologies: spin currents in topological insulators controlled
The illustration depicts the characteristic spin orientation (arrows) of electrons in a topological insulator (below). Using an initial circular polarised laser pulse, the spins are excited and point up or down. This can be proven by a second linearly polarised laser pulse (above).
An international team headed by HZB researcher Jaime Sánchez-Barriga has shown how spin-polarised currents can be initiated in a controlled manner within samples of topological insulator material. In addition, they were able to manipulate the orientation of the spins of these currents. They thereby demonstrated that this class of materials is suitable for data processing based on spin. The work has been published in the renowned periodical Physical Review B and was selected as “Editor’s Suggestion” article.
Future information technologies should employ considerably less energy for processing data. One exciting class of materials for this comprises topological insulators. Topological insulators are distinguished by their electrons at the surface being extremely mobile, while the bulk material within is an insulator and does not conduct. Since electrons also simultaneously carry a magnetic moment (spin), topological insulators might also make “spintronic” components feasible. Spintronic components would not be based on the movement of charge carriers like electrons (as in semiconductor components), but instead on the transport or manipulation of their spins. This would require considerably less energy.
An international team headed by HZB physicist Jaime Sánchez-Barriga has now shown how the spins of the electrons in topological insulators can be controlled. The team investigated samples of antimony-telluride, a topological insulator, using circularly polarised laser light. They were able to initiate and direct currents of electrons whose spins were oriented in parallel (i. e., spin-polarised currents) using the “rotational direction” of the laser light. In addition, they were successful in changing the orientation of the spins as well. The team was made up of experimentalists from the Max Born Institute in Berlin and Lomonossow University Moscow, together with theoreticians from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU). The work has been published in the renowned journal Physical Review B and was selected as “Editor’s Suggestion” article.
“If you were to utilise magnetically doped topological insulators, you could also probably store this spin information”, explains Oliver Rader, who heads the research group for green spintronics at HZB. “To investigate this however, and also be able to explore the dynamic behaviour of the magnetic moments in particular, ultra-short light pulses in the soft X-ray region are needed. These kinds of experiments can become standard with the planned upgrade of the BESSY II synchrotron source to BESSY-VSR”, he hopes.
Ultrafast spin-polarization control of Dirac fermions in topological insulators, J. Sánchez-Barriga, E. Golias, A. Varykhalov, J. Braun, L. V. Yashina, R. Schumann, J. Minár, H. Ebert, O. Kornilov, and O. Rader
Phys. Rev. B 93, 155426
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.93.155426
Link to the Editor's Suggestion
- AI-driven Catalyst Discovery: €30 million funding for German consortiumSix partners from research and industry, including Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), the Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max Planck Society (FHI), BASF, Dunia Innovations, Siemens Energy, and the Technical University Berlin are launching a joint project to accelerate the catalyst discovery. The German Federal Ministry for Science, Technology and Space (BMFTR) is providing €30 million in funding for ASCEND (Accelerated Solutions for Catalysis using Emerging Nanotechnology and Digital Innovation). The research initiative targets the defossilisation of energy-intensive industries while safeguarding industrial competitiveness, with a focus on the chemical sector. The five-year project will start on 1st April 2026.
- Kick-off for a new data and AI centre in BerlinBy establishing a new data and AI centre in Berlin, the Zuse Institute Berlin (ZIB) and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) are laying the foundations for a scalable and sovereign data infrastructure in the capital. The project strengthens the scientific capabilities of Berlin’s research community whilst making an important contribution to research security, resilience and technological independence.
- Berlin Battery Lab: BAM, HZB and HU are conducting joint research on sodium batteriesThe Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU) today officially inaugurated the Berlin Battery Lab (BBL). At this new research platform, BAM, HZB and HU jointly develop and test resource-efficient battery technologies with a focus on sodium-based systems. Together, they develop new materials, investigate innovative cell chemistries, and produce battery prototypes. The research infrastructure of the Berlin Battery Lab is also open to external partners from science and industry and is designed to accelerate the transfer from research to application.