Spin-Hall conductivity and optical characteristics of noncentrosymmetric quantum spin Hall insulators: the case of PbBiI

TL;DR

This paper theoretically investigates the optical properties, Berry curvature, and spin Hall conductivity of noncentrosymmetric PbBiI, revealing tunable electronic structures and the conditions needed for generating ac spin currents.

Contribution

It provides a detailed theoretical analysis of the optical and spin Hall effects in PbBiI, highlighting the impact of external fields and the material's noncentrosymmetric nature.

Findings

PbBiI exhibits Rashba spin-splitting and quantized spin Hall conductivity.

External fields can modify the electronic structure and optical properties.

Small dynamical spin Hall conductivity necessitates external magnetic fields for ac spin current generation.

Abstract

Quantum spin Hall insulators have attracted significant attention in recent years. Understanding the optical properties and spin Hall effect in these materials is crucial for technological advancements. In this study, we present theoretical analyses to explore the optical properties, Berry curvature and spin Hall conductivity of pristine and perturbed PbBiI using the linear combination of atomic orbitals and the Kubo formula. The system is not centrosymmetric and it is hosting at the same time Rashba spin-splitting and quantized spin Hall conductivity. Our calculations reveal that the electronic structure can be modified using staggered exchange fields and electric fields, leading to changes in the optical properties. Additionally, the spin Berry curvature and spin Hall conductivity are investigated as a function of the energy and temperature. The results indicate that due to the small dynamical spin Hall conductivity, generating an ac spin current in PbBiI requires the use of external magnetic fields or magnetic materials.