Magnetoanisotropic Andreev Reflection in Ferromagnet/Superconductor Junctions

TL;DR

This paper theoretically demonstrates that Andreev reflection in ferromagnet/superconductor junctions can be controlled by magnetization orientation and interfacial spin-orbit fields, revealing giant magnetoanisotropy useful for probing spin-orbit interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a theoretical model showing how Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit fields influence Andreev reflection and magnetoanisotropy in FS junctions, providing new insights into spin transport control.

Findings

Giant in- and out-of-plane magnetoanisotropy of conductance predicted.

Andreev reflection depends universally on spin-orbit fields in half-metal limit.

Proposes using Andreev reflection spectroscopy to probe interfacial spin-orbit fields.

Abstract

Andreev reflection spectroscopy of ferromagnet/superconductor (FS) junctions is an important probe of spin polarization. We theoretically investigate spin-polarized transport in FS junctions in the presence of Rashba and Dresselhaus interfacial spin-orbit fields and show that Andreev reflection can be controlled by changing the magnetization orientation. We predict a giant in- and out-of-plane magnetoanisotropy of the junction conductance. If the ferromagnet is highly spin polarized---in the half-metal limit---the magnetoanisotropic Andreev reflection depends universally on the spin-orbit fields only. Our results show that Andreev reflection spectroscopy can be used for sensitive probing of interfacial spin-orbit fields in FS junction.