Spin and Orbital Rashba response in ferroelectric polarized PtSe2/MoSe2/LiNbO3 heterostructures
Abstract
Recent studies using Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy (THz-TDS) with spintronic emitters as a source have revealed distinct signatures of the Rashba effect. This effect, which arises from the breaking of inversion symmetry in low-dimensional materials, has been recently investigated in CoFeB/PtSe2/MoSe2/LiNbO3-based heterostructures [S. Massabeau et al., APL Mater. 13, 041102, 2025 ]. The observed phenomena are at the source of the generated THz far-field emission, typically through mechanisms such as spin-to-charge conversion triggered by the absorption of ultrafast optical pulses. In this work, we employ first-principles simulations to quantify the Rashba effect at PtSe2/MoSe2/LiNbO3 interfaces, expanding the traditional understanding of spin transport by incorporating the orbital degree of freedom. Moreover, we quantify the degree of control on the THz emission depending on the polarization direction of LiNbO3. In order to achieve this, we analyze the accumulation of both spin and orbital components using linear response theory, revealing distinct behaviors. These findings are crucial for a deeper understanding of the physical processes governing angular momentum-to-charge conversion and THz emission. Moreover, they may provide broader insights into various experimental outcomes, including those related to spin-orbit torque.
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