Topological insulator in junction with ferromagnets: quantum Hall effects

Abstract

The ferromagnet-topological insulator-ferromagnet (FM-TI-FM) junction exhibits thermal and electrical quantum Hall effects. The generated Hall voltage and transverse temperature gradient can be controlled by the directions of magnetizations in the FM leads, which inspires the use of FM-TI-FM junctions as electrical and as heat switches in spintronic devices. Thermal and electrical Hall coefficients are calculated as functions of the magnetization directions in ferromagnets and the spin-relaxation time in TI. Both the Hall voltage and the transverse temperature gradient decrease but are not completely suppressed even at very short spin-relaxation times. The Hall coefficients turn out to be independent of the spin-relaxation time for symmetric configuration of FM leads.