Optical pure spin current injection in graphene

Pure spin current injection by optical methods is investigated in single-layer and bilayer graphene within the tight-binding model, including bias and interlayer coupling effects. Interlayer coupling in bilayer graphene has a distinct qualitative effect on the polarization dependence of the spin current injection. In combination with interlayer coupling, which induces trigonal warping of the electronic bands, the bias voltage allows to control the warping at the Fermi surface. The resulting implications for the spin current injection are presented. Unlike the previously presented charge current injection [J. Rioux et al., PRB 83, 195406 (2011)], the effect presented here relies on a single monochromatic beam.