Spin-flip Scattering at a Chiral Interface of Helical Chains

TL;DR

This study models electron spin-flip scattering at a chiral interface using a minimal orbital model, revealing how interface structure and spin-orbit coupling influence spin transport and flip phenomena.

Contribution

Introduces a minimal $p$-orbital model for chiral interfaces, highlighting the role of microscopic structure and spin-orbit coupling in spin-flip processes.

Findings

Interface structure critically affects local electronic states.

Spin flip depends on orbital configuration and spin-orbit coupling.

Microscopic interface details can control spin transport.

Abstract

We investigate spin-flip scattering processes of electrons when they pass a chiral interface, which is the boundary between right- and left-handed one-dimensional chain. We construct a minimal $p$-orbital model consisting of the right- and left-handed one-dimensional threefold helical chains connected at $z=0$ with the nearest neighbor hopping and the spin-orbit coupling. The dynamics of spin-polarized wave packet passing through the interface, the Green's functions, and electronic states near the interface are analyzed numerically. We find that the microscopic structure of the interface is important and this strongly affects the local electronic orbital state. This in addition to the spin-orbit coupling determines whether the spin flip occurs or not at the chiral interface and suggests a possible spin transport control by the orbital configuration at the chiral interface.