The temperature-dependent chiral-induced spin selectivity effect: Experiments and theory

TL;DR

This paper combines temperature-dependent experiments with a vibrationally-inclusive theoretical model to explain the chiral-induced spin selectivity effect, highlighting the role of vibrations, dissipation, and optical activity.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive model that accounts for vibrational effects in the chiral-induced spin selectivity phenomenon, aligning theory with experimental data.

Findings

Vibrational contributions significantly influence spin polarization.

The model accurately predicts temperature-dependent behavior.

Dissipation and optical activity are key factors in the effect.

Abstract

The theoretical explanation for the chiral-induced spin selectivity effect, in which electrons' passage through a chiral system depends on their spin and the handedness of the system, remains vague. Although most experimental work was performed at room temperature, most of the proposed theories did not include vibrations. Here, we present temperature-dependent experiments and a theoretical model that captures all observations and provides spin polarization values that are consistent with the experimental results. The model includes vibrational contribution to the spin orbit coupling. It shows the importance of dissipation and the relation between the effect and the optical activity.