Spin-valley filter effect and Seebeck effect in a silicene based antiferromagnetic/ferromagnetic junction

Abstract

Abstract The presence of the coupled spin and valley degrees of freedom makes silicene an important material for spintronics and valleytronics. Here we report a spin-valley filter effect in a silicene based antiferromagnetic/ferromagnetic junction. It is found that at zero Fermi level a valley locked bipolar spin filter effect is observed, where in a broad gate voltage range in one valley one spin (the other spin) electrons contribute to the current under the positive (negative) bias, but in the other valley the transport is forbidden. At the finite Fermi level a valley locked fully spin-polarized current can exist under both the positive and negative biases. Furthermore, at the high Fermi level by reversing the bias direction, the spin filter effect can switch to the valley filter effect. In addition, by changing the sign of the Fermi level, the spin polarization direction of the current can be reversed. If a temperature bias is applied, the spin-dependent Seebeck effect (SSE) always exists. With increasing the temperature bias, the system undergoes three regions: valley locked SSE, normal SSE and valley Seebeck effect. Moreover, by tuning the interlayer electric field, three phases: thermally induced valley locked spin filter effect, valley Seebeck effect and valley mixed Seebeck effect are observed.