Tunable interplay of orbital and spin magnetization in trigonal tellurium

TL;DR

This study provides experimental evidence of orbital magnetization and symmetry breaking in trigonal tellurium, highlighting the interplay between orbital and spin effects and proposing a framework for their control in chiral materials.

Contribution

It introduces a systematic experimental approach to investigate orbital magnetization in chiral crystals, advancing understanding of orbital effects in quantum materials.

Findings

Evidence of orbital magnetization in trigonal tellurium

Coexistence of spin polarization and orbital effects

Framework for controlling orbital magnetization

Abstract

Orbital effects, despite their fundamental significance and potential to engender novel physical phenomena and enable new applications, have long been underexplored compared to their spin counterparts. Recently, surging interest in the orbital degree of freedom has led to the discovery of a plethora of orbital-related effects, underscoring the need for a deeper understanding of their roles in quantum materials. Here, we report systematic experimental evidence consistent with orbital magnetization and spontaneous rotational symmetry breaking in trigonal Tellurium, an elemental semiconductor with a unique helical crystal structure that serves as a natural platform for investigating orbital effects. Detailed angular dependent linear and nonlinear magnetotransport measurements, supported by symmetry-guided Boltzmann transport analysis, support the interpretation of coexistence of current-induced spin polarization and orbital magnetization. With the goal of disentangling the interplay between spin and orbital degrees of freedom through electrostatic gating, this work establishes a general framework for understanding orbital magnetization in chiral crystals and beyond, paving the way for its utilization in orbitronics and spintronics.