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Single-Enantiomer Spin Polarizers in Superconducting Junctions

Lorenz Meyer, Nicolas Néel, and Jörg Kröger*

  • *Contact author: joerg.kroeger@tu-ilmenau.de
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 226201 – Published 2 June, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/pgs4-4nds

Abstract

Decorating the superconducting Pb tip of a scanning tunneling microscope with a Mn atom cluster gives rise to Yu-Shiba-Rusinov resonances that serve as spin-sensitive probes of the tunneling current in junctions of single heptahelicene molecules adsorbed on Pb(111). The signal strength of these states in spectroscopy of the differential conductance depends on the handedness of the probed molecule, the direction of current flow, and the intramolecular site. These findings support the presence of the chirality-induced spin selectivity effect and the role of a single enantiomer as a spin polarizer.

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synopsis

Confirming the Polarizing Effect of Chiral Molecules

Published 2 June, 2026

A new experiment shows that spin-polarized currents conducted by helical organic molecules are not just a measurement artifact, as some researchers suspected.

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Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 226201– Published 2 June, 2026
  • Received 27 January 2026
  • Accepted 21 April 2026
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