Generation of spin currents by a temperature gradient in a two-terminal device

Rafael E. Barfknecht; Angela Foerster; Nikolaj T. Zinner; Artem G. Volosniev

doi:10.1038/s42005-021-00753-7

Generation of spin currents by a temperature gradient in a two-terminal device

Rafael E. Barfknecht^*, Angela Foerster, Nikolaj T. Zinner, Artem G. Volosniev

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Theoretical and experimental studies of the interaction between spins and temperature are vital for the development of spin caloritronics, as they dictate the design of future devices. In this work, we propose a two-terminal cold-atom simulator to study that interaction. The proposed quantum simulator consists of strongly interacting atoms that occupy two temperature reservoirs connected by a one-dimensional link. First, we argue that the dynamics in the link can be described using an inhomogeneous Heisenberg spin chain whose couplings are defined by the local temperature. Second, we show the existence of a spin current in a system with a temperature difference by studying the dynamics that follows the spin-flip of an atom in the link. A temperature gradient accelerates the impurity in one direction more than in the other, leading to an overall spin current similar to the spin Seebeck effect.

Original language	English
Article number	252
Journal	Communications Physics
Volume	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-021-00753-7
Publication status	Published - Nov 2021

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title = "Generation of spin currents by a temperature gradient in a two-terminal device",

abstract = "Theoretical and experimental studies of the interaction between spins and temperature are vital for the development of spin caloritronics, as they dictate the design of future devices. In this work, we propose a two-terminal cold-atom simulator to study that interaction. The proposed quantum simulator consists of strongly interacting atoms that occupy two temperature reservoirs connected by a one-dimensional link. First, we argue that the dynamics in the link can be described using an inhomogeneous Heisenberg spin chain whose couplings are defined by the local temperature. Second, we show the existence of a spin current in a system with a temperature difference by studying the dynamics that follows the spin-flip of an atom in the link. A temperature gradient accelerates the impurity in one direction more than in the other, leading to an overall spin current similar to the spin Seebeck effect.",

author = "Barfknecht, {Rafael E.} and Angela Foerster and Zinner, {Nikolaj T.} and Volosniev, {Artem G.}",

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T1 - Generation of spin currents by a temperature gradient in a two-terminal device

AU - Barfknecht, Rafael E.

AU - Foerster, Angela

AU - Zinner, Nikolaj T.

AU - Volosniev, Artem G.

PY - 2021/11

Y1 - 2021/11

N2 - Theoretical and experimental studies of the interaction between spins and temperature are vital for the development of spin caloritronics, as they dictate the design of future devices. In this work, we propose a two-terminal cold-atom simulator to study that interaction. The proposed quantum simulator consists of strongly interacting atoms that occupy two temperature reservoirs connected by a one-dimensional link. First, we argue that the dynamics in the link can be described using an inhomogeneous Heisenberg spin chain whose couplings are defined by the local temperature. Second, we show the existence of a spin current in a system with a temperature difference by studying the dynamics that follows the spin-flip of an atom in the link. A temperature gradient accelerates the impurity in one direction more than in the other, leading to an overall spin current similar to the spin Seebeck effect.

AB - Theoretical and experimental studies of the interaction between spins and temperature are vital for the development of spin caloritronics, as they dictate the design of future devices. In this work, we propose a two-terminal cold-atom simulator to study that interaction. The proposed quantum simulator consists of strongly interacting atoms that occupy two temperature reservoirs connected by a one-dimensional link. First, we argue that the dynamics in the link can be described using an inhomogeneous Heisenberg spin chain whose couplings are defined by the local temperature. Second, we show the existence of a spin current in a system with a temperature difference by studying the dynamics that follows the spin-flip of an atom in the link. A temperature gradient accelerates the impurity in one direction more than in the other, leading to an overall spin current similar to the spin Seebeck effect.

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DO - 10.1038/s42005-021-00753-7

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SN - 2399-3650

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JO - Communications Physics

JF - Communications Physics

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ER -

Generation of spin currents by a temperature gradient in a two-terminal device

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