The generation of spatially homogeneous spin polarization by application of electric current is a fundamental manifestation of symmetry-breaking spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in solid-state systems, which underpins a wide range of spintronic applications. Here, we show theoretically that twisted van der Waals heterostructures with proximity-induced SOC are candidates par excellence to realize exotic spin-charge transport phenomena due to their highly tunable momentum-space spin textures. Specifically, we predict that graphene/group-VI dichalcogenide bilayers support room temperature spin-current responses that can be manipulated via twist-angle control. For critical twist angles, the nonequilibrium spin density is pinned parallel to the applied current. This effect is robust against twist-angle disorder, with $\mathrm{graphene}/{\mathrm{WSe}}_2$ possessing a critical angle (purely collinear response) of ${\theta }_c\simeq {14}^{\circ }$. A simple electrical detection scheme to isolate the collinear Edelstein effect is proposed.

• Received 10 May 2022
• Revised 2 July 2022
• Accepted 6 July 2022

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.106.L081406

Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

Published by the American Physical Society