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Controlling the Flow of Spin and Charge in Nanoscopic Topological Insulators (1509.08467v1)
Published 28 Sep 2015 in cond-mat.mes-hall
Abstract: Controlling the flow of spin and charge currents in topological insulators (TIs) is a crucial requirement for applications in quantum computation and spin electronics. We demonstrate that such control can be established in nanoscopic two-dimensional TIs by breaking their time reversal symmetry via magnetic defects. This allows for the creation of nearly fully spin-polarized charge currents, and the design of highly tunable spin diodes. Similar effects can also be realized in mesoscale hybrid structures in which TIs interface with ferro- or antiferromagnets.