Spin-current induced mechanical torque in a chiral molecular junction

Abstract

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.

11 pages, 7 figures

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Cited by in corpus (9)

• Spin selectivity through time-reversal symmetric helical junctions
• On the definition of chirality and enantioselective fields
• Chirality-induced Phonon-Spin Conversion at an Interface
• Spin-orbit interaction and spin selectivity for tunneling electron transfer in DNA
• Chiral cavity induced spin selectivity
• Spin-filtering in a $p$-orbital helical atomic chain
• Mind the Gap: From Resolving Theoretical Foundations of Chiral(ity)-Induced Spin Selectivity to Pioneering Implementations in Quantum Sensing
• Interatomic spin-orbit interaction in a $p$-orbital helical atomic chain
• Chirality Induced Propagation Velocity Asymmetry