Surface-state mediated spin-to-charge conversion in Sb films via bilateral spin current injection

Abstract

The spin-to-charge conversion phenomena is investigated in a trilayer structure consisting of Co(12 nm)/Sb(t)/Py(12 nm), where the thickness t of the antimony layer is varied. Using the spin-pumping technique, a pure spin current is injected from both FM layers into the middle layer, the DC voltage is then measured. We observe a spin-to-charge mechanism in the Sb layer that exhibits striking similarities to the inverse Rashba-Edelstein effect (IREE), driven by surface states.