Experimental realization of a non-magnetic one-way spin switch.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 31358742.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-019-11210-z and PMC identifier 6662681.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Controlling magnetism through non-magnetic means is highly desirable for future electronic devices, as such means typically have ultra-low power requirements and can provide coherent control. In recent years, great experimental progress has been made in the field of electrical manipulation of magnetism in numerous material systems. These studies generally do not consider the directionality of the applied non-magnetic potentials and/or magnetism switching. Here, we theoretically conceive and experimentally demonstrate a non-magnetic one-way spin switch device using a spin-orbit coupled Bose-Einstein condensate subjected to a moving spin-independent repulsive dipole potential. The physical foundation of this unidirectional device is based on the breakdown of Galilean invariance in the presence of spin-orbit coupling. Such a one-way spin switch opens an avenue for designing quantum devices with unique functionalities and may facilitate further experimental investigations of other one-way spintronic and atomtronic devices.