Singh Anil-Kumar, Martin Kévin, Mastropasqua Talamo Maurizio, Houssin Axel, Vanthuyne Nicolas, Avarvari Narcis, Tal Oren
Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
Univ Angers, CNRS, MOLTECH-Anjou, SFR MATRIX, Angers, France.
Nat Commun. 2025 Feb 19;16(1):1759. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-56718-9.
The interplay of electrons with a chiral medium has a diverse impact across science and technology, influencing drug separation, chemical reactions, and electronic transport. In particular, electron-chirality interactions can significantly affect charge and spin transport in chiral conductors, making them highly appealing for spintronics. However, an atomistic mapping of different electron-chirality interactions remains elusive. Here, we find that helicene-based single-molecule junctions behave as a combined magnetic-diode and spin-valve device. This dual-functionality enables the identification of an atomic-scale coexistence of different electron-chirality interactions: the magnetic-diode behavior is attributed to an interaction between electron's angular momentum in a chiral medium and magnetic fields, whereas the spin-valve functionality is ascribed to an interaction between the electron's spin and a chiral medium. This work uncovers the coexistence of electron-chirality interactions at the atomic-scale, identifies their distinct properties, and demonstrates how integrating their functionalities can broaden of the available methods for spintronics.
电子与手性介质的相互作用在科学技术领域有着广泛的影响,涉及药物分离、化学反应和电子传输等方面。特别是,电子 - 手性相互作用会显著影响手性导体中的电荷和自旋传输,使其在自旋电子学领域极具吸引力。然而,不同电子 - 手性相互作用的原子尺度映射仍然难以捉摸。在此,我们发现基于螺旋烯的单分子结表现为一种兼具磁二极管和自旋阀功能的器件。这种双重功能能够识别不同电子 - 手性相互作用在原子尺度上的共存:磁二极管行为归因于手性介质中电子角动量与磁场之间的相互作用,而自旋阀功能则归因于电子自旋与手性介质之间的相互作用。这项工作揭示了原子尺度上电子 - 手性相互作用的共存,确定了它们的独特性质,并展示了如何整合它们的功能来拓宽自旋电子学的可用方法。