Chirality induced spin selectivity in electron transport investigated by scanning probe microscopy

Abstract Chirality induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect implies the relationship between chirality and magnetism, attracting extensive attention in the fields of physics, chemistry and biology. Since it was first discovered with photoemission method in 1999, the CISS effect has been investigated and measured by a variety of methods. Among different means of measurements, scanning probe microscopy (SPM) as a powerful tool to explore the CISS effect, can directly measure and present the spin filtering property of chiral molecules in electron transport. In this paper, we summarize the recent experiments on the CISS effect studied with scanning tunneling microscopy and atomic force microscopy, analyzing the experimental setups and results, and delving into the underlying mechanisms. The present review offers a concise introduction to several chiral molecules which are investigated by SPM for the CISS effect, and a detailed exploration of various experimental techniques tailored to the unique adsorption structures of these molecules. The impact of molecular structure on spin selectivity and the profound implications of CISS are also demonstrated together with a concise overview of CISS theory. A conclusive synopsis and forward-looking perspectives on the investigation of the CISS effect in electron transport utilizing SPM techniques are presented.