Thermoelectric effects in superconductor-ferromagnet tunnel junctions on europium sulfide

Abstract

We report on large thermoelectric effects in superconductor-ferromagnet tunnel junctions in proximity contact with the ferromagnetic insulator europium sulfide. The combination of a spin-splitting field and spin-polarized tunnel conductance in these systems breaks the electron-hole symmetry and leads to spin-dependent thermoelectric currents. We show that the exchange splitting induced by the europium sulfide boosts the thermoelectric effect in small applied fields and can therefore eliminate the need to apply large magnetic fields, which might otherwise impede applications in thermometry or cooling.