New spin directions in pyrite an encouraging sign for future spintronics

Science Daily  November 12, 2019
Generating and manipulating out-of-plane spins without applying an external electric or magnetic field has been a key challenge in spintronics. Researchers in Australia demonstrate for the first time that pyrite-type (Pyrite is an iron-sulfide mineral that displays multiple internal planes of electronic symmetry) crystals can host unconventional energy- and direction-dependent spin textures on the surface, with both in-plane and out-of-plane spin components, in sharp contrast to spin textures in conventional topological materials. The findings provide a platform for experimentalists to detect and exploit unconventional surface spin textures in future spin-based nanoelectronic devices…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE 

Crystal structure of OsX2 (X = Se, Te). a Pyrite OsSe2/OsTe2. b The bulk Brillouin zone and the projected surface Brillouin zones for (001) and (110) surfaces. Credit: npj Quantum Materials volume 4, Article number: 47 (2019) 

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