Spintronics with a Weyl point in superconducting nanostructures

TL;DR

This paper explores a superconducting nanostructure with a Weyl point that enables advanced spintronic functionalities, including magnetic state detection, spin current conversion, and spin on demand, by tuning superconducting phase differences.

Contribution

It introduces a novel superconducting nanostructure with a Weyl point that allows switching between magnetic and non-magnetic states for spintronics applications.

Findings

Demonstrates detection of magnetic states via superconducting phase control

Shows conversion of electric currents into spin currents with high efficiency

Proposes a method for spin on demand using phase tuning

Abstract

We investigate transport in a superconducting nanostructure housing a Weyl point in the spectrum of Andreev bound states. A minimum magnet state is realized in the vicinity of the point. One or more normal-metal leads are tunnel-coupled to the nanostructure. We have shown that this minimum magnetic setup is suitable for realization of all common goals of spintronics: detection of a magnetic state, conversion of electric currents into spin currents, potentially reaching the absolute limit of one spin per charge transferred, detection of spin accumulation in the leads. The peculiarity and possible advantage of the setup is the ability to switch between magnetic and non-magnetic states by tiny changes of the control parameters: superconducting phase differences. We employ this property to demonstrate the feasibility of less common spintronic effects: spin on demand and alternative spin current.