• Featured in Physics
  • Editors' Suggestion

Radial Spin Texture in Elemental Tellurium with Chiral Crystal Structure

M. Sakano, M. Hirayama, T. Takahashi, S. Akebi, M. Nakayama, K. Kuroda, K. Taguchi, T. Yoshikawa, K. Miyamoto, T. Okuda, K. Ono, H. Kumigashira, T. Ideue, Y. Iwasa, N. Mitsuishi, K. Ishizaka, S. Shin, T. Miyake, S. Murakami, T. Sasagawa, and Takeshi Kondo
Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 136404 – Published 30 March 2020
Physics logo See Viewpoint: Finding Spin Hedgehogs in Chiral Crystals
PDFHTMLExport Citation

Abstract

The chiral crystal is characterized by a lack of mirror symmetry and inversion center, resulting in the inequivalent right- and left-handed structures. In the noncentrosymmetric crystal structure, the spin and momentum of electrons are expected to be locked in the reciprocal space with the help of the spin-orbit interaction. To reveal the spin textures of chiral crystals, we investigate the spin and electronic structure in a p-type semiconductor, elemental tellurium, with the simplest chiral structure by using spin- and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Our data demonstrate that the highest valence band crossing the Fermi level has a spin component parallel to the electron momentum around the Brillouin zone corners. Significantly, we have also confirmed that the spin polarization is reversed in the crystal with the opposite chirality. The results indicate that the spin textures of the right- and left-handed chiral crystals are hedgehoglike, leading to unconventional magnetoelectric effects and nonreciprocal phenomena.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 21 November 2019
  • Accepted 10 February 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.124.136404

© 2020 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Viewpoint

Key Image

Finding Spin Hedgehogs in Chiral Crystals

Published 30 March 2020

The observation of radial spin texture in chiral tellurium crystals could lead to greater control over electron transport. 

See more in Physics

Authors & Affiliations

M. Sakano1,2, M. Hirayama3,4,5, T. Takahashi6, S. Akebi1, M. Nakayama1, K. Kuroda1, K. Taguchi7, T. Yoshikawa7, K. Miyamoto8, T. Okuda8, K. Ono9, H. Kumigashira9,10, T. Ideue2, Y. Iwasa2,5, N. Mitsuishi2, K. Ishizaka2,5, S. Shin1,1,1, T. Miyake12, S. Murakami3,4, T. Sasagawa6, and Takeshi Kondo1,11,13

  • 1Institute for Solid State Physics (ISSP), The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa 277-8581, Japan
  • 2Quantum-Phase Electronics Center (QPEC) and Department of Applied Physics, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
  • 3Department of Physics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan
  • 4Tokodai Institute for Element Strategy (TIES), Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551, Japan
  • 5RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
  • 6Materials and Structures Laboratory (MSL), Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8503, Japan
  • 7Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526, Japan
  • 8Hiroshima Synchrotron Radiation Center (HiSOR), Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-0046, Japan
  • 9Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801, Japan
  • 10Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (IMRAM), Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan
  • 11AIST-UTokyo Advanced Operando-Measurement Technology Open Innovation Laboratory (OPERANDO-OIL), Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8581, Japan
  • 12Research Center for Computational Design of Advanced Functional Materials (CD-FMat), AIST, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan
  • 13Trans-scale Quantum Science Institute, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

Supplemental Material (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 124, Iss. 13 — 3 April 2020

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
CHORUS

Article Available via CHORUS

Download Accepted Manuscript
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Letters

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×