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Chiral Tellurium Exhibits Efficient Spin Accumulation Via Slow Relaxons for Spintronic Devices

12 days ago

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Executive Summary

  • Chiral tellurium crystals exhibit an exceptional 50% charge-to-spin conversion efficiency due to slow relaxons.
  • The slow relaxons are a result of parallel spin-momentum entanglement at the Fermi surface, suppressing back-scattering and extending spin lifetime.
  • The findings suggest the possibility of developing energy-efficient spintronic devices based on chiral materials, enabling long-range spin signal transmission.

Event Overview

A study published in Nature Communications reveals that chiral tellurium (Te) crystals enable efficient charge-to-spin conversion, reaching up to 50%. This high efficiency is attributed to slow collective relaxation modes, termed relaxons, which arise from parallel spin-momentum entanglement at the Fermi surface. The study combines theoretical calculations with experimental data to demonstrate the potential of chiral Te in spintronic devices, offering a pathway to generate and transmit spin signals with low heat losses.

Media Coverage Comparison

Source Key Angle / Focus Unique Details Mentioned Tone
Nature Communications Efficient charge-to-spin conversion in chiral tellurium due to slow relaxons. Demonstrates a 50% conversion efficiency, long spin lifetime, and similarity of slow relaxons to persistent helical spin states in GaAs quantum wells. Exact Boltzmann transport approach and relaxon spectra analysis are used. Technical and scientific, presenting research findings with detailed methodology.

Key Details & Data Points

  • What: Chiral tellurium crystals exhibit efficient charge-to-spin conversion (50%) due to slow relaxons, which are collective relaxation modes resulting from parallel spin-momentum entanglement.
  • Who: Researchers from Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, and Sherubtse College, Royal University of Bhutan.
  • When: The study was published on April 30, 2025, with initial submission on July 3, 2024, and acceptance on April 3, 2025.
  • Where: The research was conducted at the Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Netherlands, with computational resources provided by SURF Cooperative and the Hábrók high-performance computing cluster.

Key Statistics:

  • Charge-to-spin conversion efficiency: 50% (in chiral tellurium crystals)
  • Spin diffusion length: 66-102 nm (estimated in Te nanoflakes)
  • Chemical potential: ~-20 meV (corresponding to realistic hole doping levels of 7.4 × 10^17/cm^3)

Analysis & Context

The study provides a comprehensive analysis of the charge-to-spin conversion mechanism in chiral tellurium crystals. It combines advanced theoretical modeling (exact Boltzmann transport approach and relaxon spectra analysis) with experimental data (NMR) to explain the observed high conversion efficiency. The discovery of slow relaxons and their role in spin accumulation offers new insights into spin transport in chiral materials. The findings have significant implications for spintronics, potentially enabling the development of energy-efficient devices. Further research is needed to explore the quantum-geometrical aspects of spin accumulation and to optimize material properties for even higher efficiency.

Conclusion

The research demonstrates that chiral tellurium exhibits exceptional charge-to-spin conversion efficiency due to slow relaxons, enabling long-range spin transport. This breakthrough offers a promising pathway for developing spintronic devices based on chiral materials. Future research should focus on exploring other chiral materials and optimizing device structures to further enhance spin transport and conversion efficiency, paving the way for energy-efficient spintronic applications.

Disclaimer: This article was generated by an AI system that synthesizes information from multiple news sources. While efforts are made to ensure accuracy and objectivity, reporting nuances, potential biases, or errors from original sources may be reflected. The information presented here is for informational purposes and should be verified with primary sources, especially for critical decisions.