Photo-spin voltaic effect and photo-magnetoresistance in proximized platinum

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a photo-spin voltaic effect in proximized platinum caused by light-induced carrier excitation and introduces a novel photo-magnetoresistance effect where magnetoresistance varies with light intensity, supported by a theoretical model.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence of the photo-spin voltaic effect in visible light and introduces the concept of photo-magnetoresistance in proximized metals, along with a theoretical model.

Findings

Photo-spin voltaic effect observed in platinum under visible light.

Magnetoresistance depends on light intensity in proximized metals.

A magneto-transport model explains the light-dependent magnetoresistance.

Abstract

Spin orbit coupling in heavy metals allows conversion of unpolarized light into an open-circuit voltage. We experimentally prove that this photo-spin voltaic effect is due to photo-excitation of carriers in the proximized layer and can exist for light in the visible range. While carrying out the experiment, we discovered that, in closed-circuit conditions, the anisotropic magnetoresistance of the proximized metal is a function of the light intensity. We name this effect photo-magnetoresistance. A magneto-transport model is presented that describes the change of magnetoresistance as a function of the light intensity.