Dirac-Surface-State-Dominated Spin to Charge Current Conversion in the Topological Insulator $(Bi_{0.22}Sb_{0.78})_2Te_3$ Films at Room Temperature

J. B. S. Mendes, O. Alves-Santos, J. Holanda, R. P. Loreto, C. I. L. de Araujo, Cui-Zu Chang, J. S. Moodera, A. Azevedo, S. M. Rezende

Published 2017-10-17Version 1

We report the spin to charge current conversation in an intrinsic topological insulator (TI) $(Bi_{0.22}Sb_{0.78})_2Te_3$ film at room temperature. The spin currents are generated in a thin layer of permalloy (Py) by two different processes, spin pumping (SPE) and spin Seebeck effects (SSE). In the first we use microwave-driven ferromagnetic resonance of the Py film to generate a SPE spin current that is injected into the TI $(Bi_{0.22}Sb_{0.78})_2Te_3$ layer in direct contact with Py. In the second we use the SSE in the longitudinal configuration in Py without contamination by the Nernst effect made possible with a thin NiO layer between the Py and $(Bi_{0.22}Sb_{0.78})_2Te_3$ layers. The spin-to-charge current conversion is attributed to the inverse Edelstein effect (IEE) made possible by the spin-momentum locking in the electron Fermi contours due to the Rashba field. The measurements by the two techniques yield very similar values for the IEE parameter, which are larger than the reported values in the previous studies on topological insulators.