Photo-spin voltaic effect and photo-magnetoresistance in proximized platinum

Abstract

Spin orbit coupling in heavy metals allows conversion of unpolarized light into an open-circuit voltage. We experimentally prove that this photo-spin voltaic effect is due to photo-excitation of carriers in the proximized layer and can exist for light in the visible range. While carrying out the experiment, we discovered that, in closed-circuit conditions, the anisotropic magnetoresistance of the proximized metal is a function of the light intensity. We name this effect photo-magnetoresistance. A magneto-transport model is presented that describes the change of magnetoresistance as a function of the light intensity.