In this article we investigate the process of spin current injection into an atomic layer of MoS₂, which takes the shape of small triangles, and how the conversion of spin current into charge current occurs differently at the center versus the edge—the former exhibiting semiconductor character and the latter metallic character.

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The conclusion of the article is that spin-to-charge conversion in MoS₂ monolayers results from two simultaneous channels of spin current injection: (i) the semiconductor contribution associated with the flake area (attributed to the inverse Rashba–Edelstein effect, IREE) and (ii) the metallic contribution associated with the edges (likely related to the spin Hall effect, SHE). These channels have opposite signs and compete with each other, leading to a compensation point where the contributions cancel out.

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Beyond the fundamental advance (separating edge versus "bulk/area" in MoS₂), the work highlights that light enables unprecedented control of spin injection: by adjusting the intensity (and appropriate wavelength), it is possible to amplify, attenuate, or even switch on/off the spin injection/conversion. Thus, the authors position this result as a milestone for opto-spintronics, demonstrating optical control of spin currents at room temperature.