Dissipationless spin-current between Heisenberg ferromagnets with spin-orbit coupling

Abstract

A system exhibiting multiple simultaneously broken symmetries offers the opportunity to influence physical phenomena such as tunneling currents by means of external control parameters. Time-reversal symmetry and inversion symmetry are both absent in ferromagnetic metals with substantial spin-orbit coupling. We here study transport of spin in a system consisting of two ferromagnets with spin-orbit coupling separated by an insulating tunneling junction. A persistent spin-current across the junction is found, which can be controlled in a well-defined manner by external magnetic and electric fields. The behavior of the spin-current for important geometries and limits is studied.