Chirality-Induced Spin–Orbit Coupling and Spin Selectivity
Massimiliano Di Ventra, Rafael Gutiérrez, Gianaurelio Cuniberti
Abstract
We show that a spinor traveling along a one-dimensional helical path develops a spin-orbit coupling as a result of the curvature of the path. We estimate the magnitude of the associated spin polarization and obtain values typical of many helical molecular structures that showcase the Chirality-induced Spin Selectivity (CISS) effect. We find that this chirality-induced spin-orbit coupling (χ-SOC), in conjunction with broken time-reversal symmetry, may be an important ingredient for the microscopic underpinning of the CISS phenomenon.
Topics & Concepts
Coupling (piping)Condensed matter physicsCurvaturePhysicsSpin (aerodynamics)Polarization (electrochemistry)SpinorSpin polarizationSelectivityMaterials scienceMolecular physicsPlanarConjunction (astronomy)UnderpinningChemistryPath (computing)Hyperpolarization (physics)Coupling strengthInduced polarizationAdvanced NMR Techniques and ApplicationsAtomic and Subatomic Physics ResearchMolecular spectroscopy and chirality