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International audience; Control over spin transport in antiferromagnetic systems is essential for future spintronic applications with operational speeds extending to ultrafast time scales. Here, we study the transition from the gigahertz (GHz) to terahertz (THz) regime of spin transport and spin-to-charge current conversion (S2C) in the prototypical antiferromagnet IrMn by employing spin pumping and THz spectroscopy techniques. We reveal a factor of 4 shorter characteristic propagation lengths of the spin current at THz frequencies (~ 0.5 nm) as compared to the GHz regime (~ 2 nm) which may be attributed to the ballistic and diffusive nature of electronic spin transport, respectively. The conclusion is supported by an extraction of sub-picosecond temporal dynamics of the THz spin current. We also report on a significant impact of the S2C originating from the IrMn/non-magnetic metal interface which is much more pronounced in the THz regime and opens the door for optimization of the spin control at ultrafast time scales.

Spin-charge interconversion (SCI) phenomena have attracted a growing interest in the field of spintronics as means to detect spin currents or manipulate the magnetization of ferromagnets. The key ingredients to exploit these assets are a large conversion efficiency, the scalability down to the nanometer scale and the integrability with opto-electronic and spintronic devices. Here we show that, when an ultrathin Bi film is epitaxially grown on top of a Ge(111) substrate, quantum size effects arising in nanometric Bi islands drastically boost the SCI efficiency, even at room temperature. Using x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spin- and angle-resolved photoemission (S-ARPES) we obtain a clear picture of the film morphology, crystallography and electronic structure. We then exploit the Rashba-Edelstein effect (REE) and inverse Rashba-Edelstein effect (IREE) to directly quantify the SCI efficiency using optical and electrical spin injection., Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures

We report the observation of spin-to-charge current conversion in strained mercury telluride at room temperature, using spin pumping experiments. The conversion rates are found to be very high, with inverse Edelstein lengths up to 2.0 +/- 0.5 nm. The influence of the HgTe layer thickness on the conversion efficiency has been studied, as well as the role of a HgCdTe barrier inserted in-between the HgTe and NiFe layers. These measurements, associated to the temperature dependence of the resistivity, allows to ascribe these high conversion rates to the spin momentum locking property of HgTe surface states.

We report an alternative mechanism for the physical origin of the temperature-dependent ferromagnetic relaxation of Permalloy (NiFe) thin films. Through spin-pumping experiments, we demonstrate that the peak in the temperature-dependence of NiFe damping can be understood in terms of enhanced spin angular momentum absorption at the magnetic phase transition in antiferromagnetic surface-oxidized layers. These results suggest new avenues for the investigation of an incompletely-understood phenomenon in physics.

The spin–orbit coupling relating the electron spin and momentum allows for spin generation, detection and manipulation. It thus fulfils the three basic functions of the spin field-effect transistor. However, the spin Hall effect in bulk germanium is too weak to produce spin currents, whereas large Rashba effect at Ge(111) surfaces covered with heavy metals could generate spin-polarized currents. The Rashba spin splitting can actually be as large as hundreds of meV. Here we show a giant spin-to-charge conversion in metallic states at the Fe/Ge(111) interface due to the Rashba coupling. We generate very large charge currents by direct spin pumping into the interface states from 20 K to room temperature. The presence of these metallic states at the Fe/Ge(111) interface is demonstrated by first-principles electronic structure calculations. By this, we demonstrate how to take advantage of the spin–orbit coupling for the development of the spin field-effect transistor.

We present experimental results on the conversion of a spin current into a charge current by spin pumping into the Dirac cone with helical spin polarization of the elemental topological insulator (TI) {\alpha}-Sn[1-3]. By angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES) we first confirm that the Dirac cone at the surface of {\alpha}-Sn (0 0 1) layers subsists after covering with Ag. Then we show that resonant spin pumping at room temperature from Fe through Ag into {\alpha}-Sn layers induces a lateral charge current that can be ascribed to the Inverse Edelstein Effect[4-5]. Our observation of an Inverse Edelstein Effect length[5-6] much longer than for Rashba interfaces[5-10] demonstrates the potential of the TI for conversion between spin and charge in spintronic devices. By comparing our results with data on the relaxation time of TI free surface states from time-resolved ARPES, we can anticipate the ultimate potential of TI for spin to charge conversion and the conditions to reach it., Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures

We present experimental results on the conversion of a spin current into a charge current by spin pumping into the Dirac cone with helical spin polarization of the elemental topological insulator (TI) ��-Sn[1-3]. By angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES) we first confirm that the Dirac cone at the surface of ��-Sn (0 0 1) layers subsists after covering with Ag. Then we show that resonant spin pumping at room temperature from Fe through Ag into ��-Sn layers induces a lateral charge current that can be ascribed to the Inverse Edelstein Effect[4-5]. Our observation of an Inverse Edelstein Effect length[5-6] much longer than for Rashba interfaces[5-10] demonstrates the potential of the TI for conversion between spin and charge in spintronic devices. By comparing our results with data on the relaxation time of TI free surface states from time-resolved ARPES, we can anticipate the ultimate potential of TI for spin to charge conversion and the conditions to reach it., 14 pages, 5 figures

Rabi oscillations in the V_15 Single Molecule Magnet (SMM) embedded in the surfactant DODA have been studied at different microwave powers. An intense damping peak is observed when the Rabi frequency Omega_R falls in the vicinity of the Larmor frequency of protons w_N, while the damping time t_R of oscillations reaches values 10 times shorter than the phase coherence time t_2 measured at the same temperature. The experiments are interpreted by the N-spin model showing that t_R is directly associated with the decoherence via electronic/nuclear spin cross-relaxation in the rotating reference frame. It is shown that this decoherence is accompanied with energy dissipation in the range of the Rabi frequencies w_N - sigma_e < Omega_R < w_N, where sigma_e is the mean super-hyperfine field (in frequency units) induced by protons at SMMs. Weaker damping without dissipation takes place outside this dissipation window. Simple local field estimations suggest that this rapid cross-relaxation in resonant microwave field observed for the first time in SMMV_15 should take place in other SMMs like Fe_8 and Mn_12 containing protons, too.

Coherent spin dynamics of impurity Yb3+ ions in the CaWO4 single crystal has been studied using X - and W -band EPR. Rabi oscillations of the sample magnetization with damping times comparable to their period, driven by pulses of the microwave field with duration up to 5μs, were observed. The largest value of the single-qubit figure of merit (∼6400) is obtained for the high-field component in the Y 171 b X -band EPR spectrum. The spin-lattice relaxation time of the Yb3+ ions shortens with the increasing resonance frequency while the phase memory time, in contrast, grows noticeably. Variations of the phase memory times are interpreted in terms of spectral and instantaneous diffusions. The increase of the coherence time at the W band can be used for the application of rare-earth ions as qubits in quantum computing as it has been proposed recently. © 2009 The American Physical Society.

International audience; Coherent spin dynamics of impurity Yb$^{3+}$ ions in the CaWO$_4$ single crystal has been studied using X-and W-band EPR. Rabi oscillations of the sample magnetization with damping times comparable to their period, driven by pulses of the microwave field with duration up to 5 $\mu$s, were observed. The largest value of the single-qubit figure of merit (~6400) is obtained for the high-field component in the $^{171}$Yb X-band EPR spectrum. The spin-lattice relaxation time of the Yb$^{3+}$ ions shortens with the increasing resonance frequency while the phase memory time, in contrast, grows noticeably. Variations of the phase memory times are interpreted in terms of spectral and instantaneous diffusions. The increase of the coherence time at the W band can be used for the application of rare-earth ions as qubits in quantum computing as it has been proposed recently.

This work provides new developments of the field of spin dynamics in mesoscopic systems. We first discuss, by a few examples, how environmental degrees of freedom affect tunneling and subsequent slow quantum relaxation of large molecule spins (such as Mn 12-AC) or rare-earth (RE) spins (such as Ho diluted in YLiF 4) showing two different facets of the spin bath model. The case of low molecule spins (V 15) is also considered. Then we discuss AC-susceptibility experiments performed on YLiF 4:Ho 3+ allowing to clarify the roles played by the phonon and the spin baths on single-ion and two-ion electro-nuclear tunneling. In the last part, we extend these quantum dynamical studies to the case of Er diluted in CaWO 4 where the spin and phonon baths are weak enough to allow fast and coherent quantum dynamics with the observation of Rabi oscillations. The angular momentum and magnetic moment of Er, J=15/2and 9 μ B, are comparable to those of large molecule spins, implying easy manipulations of potential RE solid-state qubits. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Proteus mirabilis catalase (PMC) belongs to the family of NADPH binding catalases. The function of NADPH in these enzymes is still a matter of debate. This study presents the effects of two independent phenylalanine mutations (F194 and F215), located between NADPH and heme in the PMC structure. The phenylalanines were replaced with tyrosines which we predicted could carry radicals in a NADPH-heme electron transfer. The X-ray crystal structures of the two mutants indicated that neither the binding site of NADPH nor the immediate environment of the residues was affected by the mutations. Measurements using H2O2 as a substrate confirmed that the variants were as active as the native enzyme. With equivalent amounts of peroxoacetic acid, wild-type PMC, F215Y PMC, and beef liver catalase (BLC) formed a stable compound I, while the F194Y PMC variant produced a compound I which was rapidly transformed into compound II and a tyrosyl radical. EPR studies showed that this radical, generated by the oxidation of Y194, was not related to the previously observed radical in BLC, located on Y369. In the presence of excess NADPH, compound I was reduced to a resting enzyme (k(obs) = 1.7 min(-1)) in a two-electron process. This was independent of the enzyme's origin and did not require any thus far identified tyrosyl radicals. Conversely, the presence of a tyrosyl radical in F194Y PMC greatly enhanced the oxidation of reduced beta-nicotinamide mononucleotide under a steady-state H2O2 flow with observable compound II. This process could involve a one-electron reduction of compound I via Y194.