Electrical detection of surface state spin polarization of candidate topological Kondo insulator SmB<sub>6</sub>

ORAL

Abstract

SmB6 is an example of Kondo insulator compound where hybridization between conduction and core band electron level induces a gap at low temperature. Recently this material system has emerged as a strong candidate for a realization of topologically nontrivial state of matter in strongly correlated system, the topological Kondo insulator, which can be novel platform for investigating interplay between nontrivial topology and correlation driven emergent phenomena in solid state system. While the property of surface conduction with bulk insulating nature at low temperature has been revealed through electronic transport measurement, until now, there has been no direct electronic transport measurement which shows spin momentum locking on the surface of SmB6. In this presentation, I will discuss potentiometric spin voltage measurement performed on the surface of SmB6. Applied current, temperature and an external magnetic field dependence of the spin voltage are consistent with spin-momentum locking property, which can support that the surface state of SmB6 is metallic surface with chiral spin texture.

*This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the NRF funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning (Grant No. NRF-2015R1C1A1A02037430).

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Presenters

  • Jehyun Kim

    • Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University

Authors

  • Jehyun Kim

    • Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University

  • Chaun Jang

    • Center for Spintronics, Korea Institute of Science and Technology

  • Xiangfeng Wang

    • Center for Nanophysics and Advanced Materials, Department of Physics, University of Maryland
    • Center for Nanophysics and Advanced Materials, University of Maryland

  • Johnpierre Paglione

    • Center for Nanophysics and Advanced Materials , University of Maryland
    • CNAM, Department of Physics, University of Maryland
    • Univ of Maryland-College Park
    • Department of Physics, University of Maryland
    • CNAM, Department of Physics, Univ of Maryland-College Park
    • Univ of Maryland - College Park
    • College Park, MD 20742-4111, Univ of Maryland-College Park
    • Center for Nanophysics and Advanced Materials, Department of Physics, University of Maryland
    • Center for Nanophysics and Advanced Materials, University of Maryland
    • University of Maryland, College Park
    • University of Maryland

  • Seokmin Hong

    • Center for Spintronics, Korea Institute of Science and Technology

  • Dohun Kim

    • Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University