Chiral-phonon-activated spin Seebeck effect

Utilization of the interaction between spin and heat currents is the central focus of the field of spin caloritronics. Chiral phonons possessing angular momentum arising from the broken symmetry of a non-magnetic material create the potential for generating spin currents at room temperature in response to a thermal gradient, precluding the need for a ferromagnetic contact. Here we show the observation of spin currents generated by chiral phonons in a two-dimensional layered hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite implanted with chiral cations when subjected to a thermal gradient. The generated spin current shows a strong dependence on the chirality of the film and external magnetic fields, of which the coefficient is orders of magnitude larger than that produced by the reported spin Seebeck effect. Our findings indicate the potential of chiral phonons for spin caloritronic applications and offer a new route towards spin generation in the absence of magnetic materials. The authors report spin current generation in a metallic layer adjacent to a non-magnetic chiral hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite when subjected to a thermal gradient, and attribute this to chiral phonons possessing angular momentum.

Automated summary

Researchers have discovered that chiral phonons in non-magnetic materials can generate spin currents in response to a thermal gradient, without the need for ferromagnetic contacts. This finding suggests the potential application of chiral phonons in spin caloritronics and offers a new route for spin generation in the absence of magnetic materials.