Current-Modulated Magnetoplasmonic Devices

We model the operation and readout sensitivity of two current-modulated magnetoplasmonic devices which exploit spin Hall effect-like behavior as a function of their device and material parameters. In both devices, current pulses are applied to an electrically-isolated stack, containing an active layer (either a metal with large spin orbit coupling or a topological insulator) embedded within a plasmonic metal (Au). The first device, composed of a ferromagnet and the active layer, illustrates a plasmonic readout scheme for detecting magnetic reorientation driven by current-induced spin transfer torques. The plasmonic readout of these current-modulated non-volatile states may facilitate the development of plasmon-based memory or logic devices. The second device, containing only the active layer, explores the magnetoplasmonic readout conditions required to directly measure the spin accumulation in these materials. The estimated thickness-dependent sensitivity agrees with recent experimental magneto-optical Kerr effect observations.