Spin hydrodynamic generation in graphene

Abstract: Graphene hosts an ultra-clean electronic system with electron-electron collisions being the dominant source of scattering above liquid nitrogen temperatures. In this regime, the motion of the electron fluid resembles the flow of classical liquids and gases with high viscosity. Here we show that such a viscous electron flow can cause the generation of a spin current perpendicular to the direction of flow. Combining the Navier-Stokes equations and the spin diffusion equation in the presence of the spin-vorticity coupling, we derive an expression for the spin accumulation emerging purely as a result of the viscous electron flow. We explore Poiseuille flow and Jeffery-Hamel flow and show that the spin Hall angle may exceed 0.1 over a wide range of temperatures and can be controlled by carrier density, temperature, and the geometry of sample boundaries. Our theory points to new functionality of graphene as a spin current source.