TY - JOUR
T1 - Spin-current induced mechanical torque in a chiral molecular junction
AU - Sasao, Naoki
AU - Okada, Hiroki
AU - Utsumi, Yasuhiro
AU - Entin-Wohlman, Ora
AU - Aharony, Amnon
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 The Physical Society of Japan
PY - 2019/1/1
Y1 - 2019/1/1
N2 - We analyse the appearance of a mechanical torque that acts on a chiral molecule: a single-stranded DNA, in which the spin–orbit interaction is expected to induce a spin-selectivity effect. The mechanical torque is shown to appear as a result of the non-conservation of the spin current in the presence of the spin–orbit interaction. Adopting a simple microscopic model Hamiltonian for a chiral molecule connected to source and drain leads, and accounting for the mechanical torque acting on the chiral molecule as the back action on the electrons traversing the molecule, we derive the spin continuity-equation. It connects the spin current expressed by a Landauer-type formula and the mechanical torque. Thus, by injecting a spin-polarized current from the source electrode, it is possible to generate a torque, which will rotate the DNA molecule.
AB - We analyse the appearance of a mechanical torque that acts on a chiral molecule: a single-stranded DNA, in which the spin–orbit interaction is expected to induce a spin-selectivity effect. The mechanical torque is shown to appear as a result of the non-conservation of the spin current in the presence of the spin–orbit interaction. Adopting a simple microscopic model Hamiltonian for a chiral molecule connected to source and drain leads, and accounting for the mechanical torque acting on the chiral molecule as the back action on the electrons traversing the molecule, we derive the spin continuity-equation. It connects the spin current expressed by a Landauer-type formula and the mechanical torque. Thus, by injecting a spin-polarized current from the source electrode, it is possible to generate a torque, which will rotate the DNA molecule.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85067275907&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.7566/JPSJ.88.064702
DO - 10.7566/JPSJ.88.064702
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85067275907
SN - 0031-9015
VL - 88
JO - Journal of the Physical Society of Japan
JF - Journal of the Physical Society of Japan
IS - 6
M1 - 064702
ER -