Chirality-dependent persistent spin current in single circular helix molecules

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the generation and control of persistent spin currents in circular chiral molecules driven by magnetic fields, offering new insights into the microscopic mechanisms of chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS).

Contribution

It introduces a novel method to observe persistent spin currents in chiral molecules and explores how substrate modifications and magnetic field directions influence these currents.

Findings

Persistent spin current observed in chiral molecules regardless of SOC origin.

Magnetic field tuning induces phase transitions between trivial and non-trivial spin states.

Substrate modifications affect the spin-orbit coupling and spin current behavior.

Abstract

Since the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) was first observed experimentally, its microscopic mechanism has been continuously explored by the scientific community. Among these investigations, the non-equilibrium effects and the unknown origins of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) have been the central issues discussed in recent years. Here, we have achieved a persistent spin current in different circular single-helix molecule driven by a magnetic field, which is inherently linked to the equilibrium state associated with chirality. Due to its measurement method being different from the transport currents observed in previous experiments, the origin of its spin-orbit coupling can be explored by modifying the substrate with different light and heavy metal elements. Our results demonstrate that a persistent spin current can be observed regardless of whether the SOC originates from the chiral molecule or the substrate. Furthermore, by tuning the direction of the magnetic field, we can achieve a phase transition between trivial and non-trivial chiral persistent spin currents. Our work provides a new perspective and platform for exploring the nature of CISS and controlling the effects of CISS.