Quasiclassical theory of superconducting spin-splitter effects and spin-filtering via altermagnets
Conducting altermagnets have recently emerged as intriguing materials supporting strongly spin-polarized currents without magnetic stray fields. We demonstrate that altermagnets enable three key functionalities, merging superconductivity and spintronics. The first prediction is a controllable supercurrent-induced edge magnetization, which acts like a dissipationless spin-splitter effect. The second and third predictions are a Cooper pair spin-splitter and a filtering effect, respectively. These effects allow for spatial separation of triplet pairs with opposite spin polarizations and spin-selective tunneling of Cooper pairs. We derive a quasiclassical theory with associated boundary conditions that describe these phenomena and explain how they can be experimentally verified. Our results open a new path for spatial control of spin signals via triplet Cooper pairs using hybrid superconductor-altermagnet devices.
Authors
- Hans Gløckner Giil (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8869-768X)
- Bjørnulf Brekke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2265-3283)
- Jacob Linder (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0384-763X)
- Arne Brataas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0867-6323)
Institutions
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NO)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physical review. B./Physical review. B
- Published
- 2024-10-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.110.l140506
- Citations
- 27
- Primary Topic
- Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 8.39
Funders
- Norges Forskningsråd