Spin-polarized currents driven by spin-dependent surface screening

Abstract

We have examined the spin polarization of the electron current in a ferromagnetic metal induced by the spin-dependent surface screening at the dielectric-ferromagnetic metal (D-FM) interface. In an applied ac voltage, the dynamic band splitting driven by the changes in the screening charge at the D-FM interface develops spin accumulation. The resultant spin accumulation gradient produces a time-dependent spin current. We have derived the rate of the spin accumulation on the rate of the screening charge density accumulation within the Stoner band model. The spin-charge dynamics in the system is then modeled by a set of diffusive equations with the contributions from spin-dependent surface screening ands spin-dependent conductivity. We show for MgO-Cu-Co-MgO system that the spin-dependent screening in thin Co film produces spin accumulation 7 times higher than that obtained by the spin-dependent conductivity in thick Co films. We propose an experimental approach to validate our numerical predictions and to distinguish between spin accumulation induced by the spin-dependent conductivity and by the spin-dependent surface screening.