1 research outputs found
Drift-diffusion model for spin-polarized transport in a non-degenerate 2DEG controlled by a spin-orbit interaction
We apply the Wigner function formalism to derive drift-diffusion transport
equations for spin-polarized electrons in a III-V semiconductor single quantum
well. Electron spin dynamics is controlled by the linear in momentum spin-orbit
interaction. In a studied transport regime an electron momentum scattering rate
is appreciably faster than spin dynamics. A set of transport equations is
defined in terms of a particle density, spin density, and respective fluxes.
The developed model allows studying of coherent dynamics of a non-equilibrium
spin polarization. As an example, we consider a stationary transport regime for
a heterostructure grown along the (0, 0, 1) crystallographic direction. Due to
the interplay of the Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit terms spin dynamics
strongly depends on a transport direction. The model is consistent with results
of pulse-probe measurement of spin coherence in strained semiconductor layers.
It can be useful for studying properties of spin-polarized transport and
modeling of spintronic devices operating in the diffusive transport regime.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figure