Mixed Quantum-Classical Approaches to Spin Current and Polarization Dynamics in Chiral Molecular Junctions

Abstract: Chiral molecular junctions offer a promising platform for realizing chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS), where spin filtering occurs without external magnetic fields. Here, we investigate spin transport in such junctions by combining quantum master equation (QME) methods for purely electronic dynamics with surface hopping (SH) and mean-field Ehrenfest (MF) approaches to incorporate electron-phonon coupling. Our results show that transient spin polarization arises but ultimately decays to zero at long times. We find that bias voltage, molecular length, and spin-orbit coupling (SOC) strongly influence the spin current dynamics: higher bias enhances spin current but reduces polarization, while longer molecules and stronger SOC amplify transient polarization. Including electron-phonon coupling modifies current-voltage characteristics, enhancing spin currents at intermediate bias but suppressing them at high bias, while leaving the polarization dynamics largely unchanged. These findings highlight the interplay between electronic and vibrational effects in CISS and provide guidance for designing molecular spintronic devices.