All-electrical control of spin transport in a three-terminal yttrium iron garnet/platinum nanostructure

Pure spin currents, i.e. the flow of angular momentum without an accompanying charge current represents a new paradigm in the field of spintronics. Most importantly, pure spin currents can be transported by fermions, i.e. by electrons, in electrical conductors as well as by bosons, i.e. by quantized magnetic excitations, in magnetically ordered insulators. Interestingly, heterostructures consisting of spin-orbit coupled metals with magnetically ordered insulators allow to investigate pure spin current transport in both regimes and their interconversion at the interface [1]. We here report on the control of magnon spin currents via a DC charge current injected pure spin current. To this end, we utilize three electrically isolated platinum (Pt) electrodes deposited on an ultrathin yttrium iron garnet (YIG) film. Employing all-electrical injection and detection mechanisms, we provide evidence for efficient spin transport manipulation by a DC charge current in these devices. Moreover, we discuss the physical origin of non-linear effects in such structures.
[1] M. Althammer, J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 51, 313001 (2018)