Chirality transfer induced spin selectivity effect in a molecule-metal heterojunction

Abstract

The chiral geometry of the organic molecule is considered to be crucial to the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. However, the fundamental mechanism responsible for CISS is still debated. In this paper, we propose a mechanism of chirality transfer from chiral molecules to metals by interface coupling in a molecule/metal heterojunction. It is found that the transferred charges present a chiral distribution even in the achiral metal. Using a tight-binding model and tunneling theory, we focus on the induced chiral interface and the strong spin-orbit coupling of the metal, and predict a sizable CISS effect. This work provides a different perspective for us to understand the CISS effect.

Topics & Concepts