arXiv subjects

Simranjeet Singh

Publications and source records attributed to Simranjeet Singh.

43 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Imaging Spin Dynamics in Monolayer WS2 by Time-Resolved Kerr Rotation Microscopy

Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) have immense potential for future spintronic and valleytronic applications due to their two-dimensional nature and long spin/valley lifetimes. We investigate the origin of these long-lived states in n-type WS2 using time-resolved Kerr rotation microscopy and photoluminescence microscopy with ~1 micron spatial resolution. Comparing the spatial dependence of the Kerr rotation signal and the photoluminescence reveals a correlation with neutral exciton emission, which is likely due to the transfer of angular momentum to resident conduction electrons with long spin/valley lifetimes. In addition, we observe an unexpected anticorrelation between the Kerr rotation and trion emission, which provides evidence for the presence of long-lived spin/valley-polarized dark trions. We also find that the spin/valley polarization in WS2 is robust to magnetic fields up to 700 mT, indicative of spins and valleys that are stabilized with strong spin-orbit fields.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Strong modulation of spin currents in bilayer graphene by static and fluctuating proximity exchange fields

Two dimensional (2D) materials provide a unique platform to explore the full potential of magnetic proximity driven phenomena, which can be further used for applications in next generation spintronic devices. Of particular interest is to understand and control spin currents in graphene by the magnetic exchange field of a nearby ferromagnetic material in graphene/ferromagnetic-insulator (FMI) heterostructures. Here, we present the experimental study showing the strong modulation of spin currents in graphene layers by controlling the direction of the exchange field due to FMI magnetization. Owing to clean interfaces, a strong magnetic exchange coupling leads to the experimental observation of complete spin modulation at low externally applied magnetic fields in short graphene channels. Additionally, we discover that the graphene spin current can be fully dephased by randomly fluctuating exchange fields. This is manifested as an unusually strong temperature dependence of the non-local spin signals in graphene, which is due to spin relaxation by thermally-induced transverse fluctuations of the FMI magnetization.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2016

Spatially Resolved Electronic Properties of Single-Layer WS$_2$ on Transition Metal Oxides

There is a substantial interest in the heterostructures of semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) amongst each other or with arbitrary materials, through which the control of the chemical, structural, electronic, spintronic, and optical properties can lead to a change in device paradigms. A critical need is to understand the interface between TMDCs and insulating substrates, for example high-$κ$ dielectrics, which can strongly impact the electronic properties such as the optical gap. Here we show that the chemical and electronic properties of the single-layer (SL) TMDC, WS$_2$, can be transferred onto high-$κ$ transition metal oxide substrates TiO$_2$ and SrTiO$_3$. The resulting samples are much more suitable for measuring their electronic and chemical structures with angle-resolved photoemission than their native-grown SiO$_2$ substrates. We probe the WS$_2$ on the micron scale across 100-micron flakes, and find that the occupied electronic structure is exactly as predicted for freestanding SL WS$_2$ with a strong spin-orbit splitting of 420~meV and a direct band gap at the valence band maximum. Our results suggest that TMDCs can be combined with arbitrary multi-functional oxides, which may introduce alternative means of controlling the optoelectronic properties of such materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

The Effect of Preparation Conditions on Raman and Photoluminescence of Monolayer WS2

We report on preparation dependent properties observed in monolayer WS2 samples synthesized via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on a variety of common substrates (Si/SiO2, sapphire, fused silica) as well as samples that were transferred from the growth substrate onto a new substrate. The as-grown CVD materials (as-WS2) exhibit distinctly different optical properties than transferred WS2 (x-WS2). In the case of CVD growth on Si/SiO2, following transfer to fresh Si/SiO2 there is a ~50 meV shift of the ground state exciton to higher emission energy in both photoluminescence emission and optical reflection. This shift is indicative of a reduction in tensile strain by ~0.25%. Additionally, the excitonic state in x-WS2 is easily modulated between neutral and charged exciton by exposure to moderate laser power, while such optical control is absent in as-WS2 for all growth substrates investigated. Finally, we observe dramatically different laser power-dependent behavior for as-grown and transferred WS2. These results demonstrate a strong sensitivity to sample preparation that is important for both a fundamental understanding of these novel materials as well as reliable reproduction of device properties.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Nanosecond spin relaxation times in single layer graphene spin valves with hexagonal boron nitride tunnel barriers

We present an experimental study of spin transport in single layer graphene using atomic sheets of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) as a tunnel barrier for spin injection. While h-BN is expected to be favorable for spin injection, previous experimental studies have been unable to achieve spin relaxation times in the nanosecond regime, suggesting potential problems originating from the contacts. Here, we investigate spin relaxation in graphene spin valves with h-BN barriers and observe room temperature spin lifetimes in excess of a nanosecond, which provides experimental confirmation that h-BN is indeed a good barrier material for spin injection into graphene. By carrying out measurements with different thicknesses of h-BN, we show that few layer h-BN is a better choice than monolayer for achieving high non-local spin signals and longer spin relaxation times in graphene.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Moderate Positive Spin Hall Angle in Uranium

We report measurements of spin pumping and the inverse spin Hall effect in Ni80Fe20/Uranium bilayers designed to study the efficiency of spin-charge interconversion in a super-heavy element. We employ broad-band ferromagnetic resonance on extended films to inject a spin current from the Ni80Fe20 (permalloy) into the uranium layer, which is then converted into an electric field by the inverse spin Hall effect. Surprisingly, our results suggest a spin mixing conductance of order 2x10 e19 m-2 and a positive spin Hall angle of 0.004, which are both merely comparable to those of several transition metals. These results thus support the idea that the electronic configuration may be at least as important as the atomic number in governing spin pumping across interfaces and subsequent spin Hall effects. In fact, given that both the magnitude and the sign are unexpected based on trends in d-electron systems, materials with unfilled f-electron orbitals may hold additional exploration avenues for spin physics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2015

Strength of the dominant scatterer in graphene on silicon oxide

A large variability of carrier mobility of graphene-based field effect transistors hampers graphene science and technology. We determine the scattering strength of the dominant scatterer responsible for the variability of graphene-based transistors on silicon oxide. The strength of the scatterer is found to be more consistent with charged impurities than with resonant impurities.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗