A spin triplet supercurrent in half metal ferromagnet/superconductor junctions with the interfacial Rashba spin-orbit coupling

dc Josephson currents in s-wave superconductor/half metal ferromagnet (HMF)/s-wave superconductor junctions are investigated. We propose the interfacial Rashba spin-orbit coupling as a possible mechanism giving rise to the spin flip Andreev reflection, which results in the singlet-triplet conversion at HMF/superconductor interfaces. When the magnetization direction of the HMF and that of the effective spin-orbit magnetic field are noncolinear, a long-ranged spin triplet supercurrent appears. The supercurrent strongly depends on the magnetization direction of the HMF and can be enhanced by the Rashba spin-orbit coupling strength. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4743001]