Chiral Spinterfaces as an Overlooked Component of the Chiral-Induced Spin Selectivity Effect
The chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect is generally attributed to spin-selective transport through chiral molecules, while the role of the molecule-electrode interface remains largely unexplored. Here, we show that adsorption of chiral amino acid derived molecules on ferromagnetic Ni thin films generates a remanent chirality-dependent magneto-optical response that is localized to the molecule-Ni/NiO interface and can be reversibly switched by an external magnetic field, demonstrating its genuine magnetic character. A comprehensive series of control experiments establishes that the response originates from the interfacial region rather than from the molecular layer or the bulk ferromagnet. First-principles calculations reveal that Boc-methionine adsorption proceeds through energetically accessible sulfur- and carboxyl-bound configurations that produce distinct molecular orientations and ligand-p/Ni-d hybridization, thereby defining structurally and electronically distinct interfaces. Together, the experimental and theoretical results support the formation of chiral spinterfaces, identifying the molecule-ferromagnet interface as an active and previously overlooked component of CISS systems. These findings broaden the microscopic picture of CISS beyond the chiral molecule itself and reveals interface electronic structure as a key design parameter for spin-selective molecular devices.