Takashi Kikkawa

Longitudinal spin Seebeck effect free from the proximity Nernst effect.

This Letter provides evidence for intrinsic longitudinal spin Seebeck effects (LSSEs) that are free from the anomalous Nernst effect (ANE) caused by an extrinsic proximity effect. We report the observation of LSSEs in Au/Y(3)Fe(5)O(12) (YIG) and Pt/Cu/YIG systems, showing that the LSSE appears even when the mechanism of the proximity ANE is clearly removed. In the conventional Pt/YIG structure, furthermore, we separate the LSSE from the ANE by comparing the voltages in different magnetization and temperature-gradient configurations; the ANE contamination was found to be negligibly small even in the Pt/YIG structure.

Observation of the spin Seebeck effect in epitaxial Fe3O4 thin films

We report the experimental observation of the spin Seebeck effect in magnetite thin films. The signal observed at temperatures above the Verwey transition is a contribution from both the anomalous Nernst (ANE) and spin Seebeck (SSE) effects. The contribution from the ANE of the Fe3O4 layer to the SSE is found to be negligible due to the resistivity difference between Fe3O4 and Pt layers. Below the Verwey transition, the SSE is free from the ANE of the ferromagnetic layer and it is also found to dominate over the ANE due to magnetic proximity effect on the Pt layer.

Thermally driven spin and charge currents in thin NiFe2O4/Pt films

We present results on the longitudinal spin Seebeck effect (LSSE) shown by semiconducting ferrimagnetic NiFe2O4/Pt films from room temperature down to 50K base temperature. The temperature dependence of the conductivity has been studied in parallel to obtain information about the origin of the electric potentials detected at the Pt coverage of the ferrimagnet in order to distinguish the LSSE from the anomalous Nernst effect. Furthermore, the dependence of the LSSE on temperature gradients as well as the influence of an external magnetic field direction is investigated.

Critical suppression of spin Seebeck effect by magnetic fields

The longitudinal spin Seebeck effect (LSSE) in

Thermoelectric Generation Based on Spin Seebeck Effects

\mathrm{Pt}/{\mathrm{Y}}_{3}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{5}{\mathrm{O}}_{12}\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}(\mathrm{YIG})

Sign of inverse spin Hall voltages generated by ferromagnetic resonance and temperature gradients in yttrium iron garnet platinum bilayers

junction systems has been investigated at various magnetic fields and temperatures. We found that the LSSE voltage in a Pt/YIG-slab system is suppressed by applying high magnetic fields and this suppression is critically enhanced at low temperatures. The field-induced suppression of the LSSE in the Pt/YIG-slab system is too large at around room temperature to be explained simply by considering the effect of the Zeeman gap in magnon excitation. This result requires us to introduce a magnon-frequency-dependent mechanism into the scenario of LSSE; low-frequency magnons dominantly contribute to the LSSE. The magnetic field dependence of the LSSE voltage was observed to change by changing the thickness of YIG, suggesting that the thermospin conversion by the low-frequency magnons is suppressed in thin YIG films due to the long characteristic lengths of such magnons.

Unconventional scaling and significant enhancement of the spin Seebeck effect in multilayers

The spin Seebeck effect (SSE) refers to the generation of a spin current as a result of a temperature gradient in magnetic materials including insulators. The SSE is applicable to thermoelectric generation because the thermally generated spin current can be converted into a charge current via spin-orbit interaction in conductive materials adjacent to the magnets. The insulator-based SSE device exhibits unconventional characteristics potentially useful for thermoelectric applications, such as simple structure, device-design flexibility, and convenient scaling capability. In this article, we review recent studies on the SSE from the viewpoint of thermoelectric applications. Firstly, we introduce the thermoelectric generation process and measurement configuration of the SSE, followed by showing fundamental characteristics of the SSE device. Secondly, a theory of the thermoelectric conversion efficiency of the SSE device is presented, which clarifies the difference between the SSE and conventional thermoelectric effects and the efficiency limit of the SSE device. Finally, we show preliminary demonstrations of the SSE in various device structures for future thermoelectric applications and discuss prospects of the SSE-based thermoelectric technologies.

Quantitative Temperature Dependence of Longitudinal Spin Seebeck Effect at High Temperatures

We carried out a concerted effort to determine the absolute sign of the inverse spin Hall effect voltage generated by spin currents injected into a normal metal. We focus on yttrium iron garnet (YIG)∣platinum bilayers at room temperature, generating spin currents by microwaves and temperature gradients. We find consistent results for different samples and measurement setups that agree with theory. We suggest a right-hand-rule to define a positive spin Hall angle corresponding to the voltage expected for the simple case of scattering of free electrons from repulsive Coulomb charges.

Observation of longitudinal spin-Seebeck effect in cobalt-ferrite epitaxial thin films

Thermal spin pumping constitutes a novel mechanism for generation of spin currents; however their weak intensity constitutes a major roadblock for its usefulness. We report a phenomenon that produces a huge spin current in the central region of a multilayer system, resulting in a giant spin Seebeck effect in a structure formed by repetition of ferromagnet/metal bilayers. The result is a consequence of the interconversion of magnon and electron spin currents at the multiple interfaces. This work opens the possibility to design thin film heterostructures that may boost the application of thermal spin currents in spintronics.

Spin current generation from sputtered Y3Fe5O12 films

This article reports temperature-dependent measurements of longitudinal spin Seebeck effects (LSSEs) in Pt/Y