Revealing hidden spin polarization in centrosymmetric van der Waals materials on ultrafast timescales

B. Arnoldi, S. L. Zachritz, S. Hedwig, M. Aeschlimann, O. L.A. Monti, B. Stadtmüller

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

One of the key challenges for spintronic and quantum technologies is to achieve active control of the spin angular momentum of electrons in nanoscale materials on ultrafast, femtosecond timescales. While conventional ferromagnetic materials and materials supporting spin texture suffer both from conceptional limitations in miniaturization and inefficiency of optical and electronic manipulation, non-magnetic centrosymmetric layered materials with hidden spin polarization may offer an alternative pathway to manipulate the spin degree of freedom by external stimuli. Here we demonstrate an approach for generating transient spin polarization on a femtosecond timescale in the otherwise spin-unpolarized band structure of the centrosymmetric 2H-stacked group VI transition metal dichalcogenide WSe2. Using ultrafast optical excitation of a fullerene layer grown on top of WSe2, we trigger an ultrafast interlayer electron transfer from the fullerene layer into the WSe2 crystal. The resulting transient charging of the C60/WSe2 interface leads to a substantial interfacial electric field that by means of spin-layer-valley locking ultimately creates ultrafast spin polarization without the need of an external magnetic field. Our findings open a novel pathway for true optical engineering of spin functionalities such as the sub-picosecond generation and manipulation of ultrafast spin currents in 2D heterostructures.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number3573
JournalNature communications
Volume15
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2024
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
  • General Physics and Astronomy

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