Electric Field Effects on Spin Splitting of Two-Dimensional van der Waals Arsenene/FeCl2 Heterostructures

We perform an ab initio simulation on the structural and electronic properties of van der Waals monolayer arsenene/FeCl2 heterostructures. Spin splitting appears at the conduction band minimum of arsenene due to interfacial coupling between As p and Cl p, Fe d states in the spin-down channel. The maximum splitting energy is 123 meV in all stacking configurations. Moreover, the splitting energy can be tuned by a perpendicular electric field. At a field of 5 V/nm, the spin-splitting direction can be inversed, and the splitting energy is -66 meV. Additionally, the positive electric field makes the system turn from an Ohmic contact into a Schottky one, which realizes a continuous modulation on the barrier height. More importantly, the electric control of spin-splitting inversion can be converted into an electric potential difference in arsenene according to the anomalous Hall effect. The transformation from spin-manipulation information to electric signal is useful in spintronic devices.