Rashba interaction in quantum wires with in-plane magnetic fields

We analyze the spectral and transport properties of ballistic quasi one-dimensional systems in the presence of spin-orbit coupling and in-plane agnetic fields. Our results demonstrate that Rashba precession and intersubband coupling must be treated on equal footing for wavevectors near the magnetic field induced gaps. We find that intersubband coupling limits the occurrence of negative effective masses at the gap edges and modifies the linear conductance curves in the strong coupling limit. The effect of the magnetic field on the spin textured orientation of the wire magnetization is discussed.Comment: 6 pages, 6 figures; new figures, discussion extende

Resonance-like electrical control of electron spin for microwave measurement

We demonstrate that the spin-polarized electron current can interact with a microwave electric field in a resonant manner. The spin-orbit interaction gives rise to an effective magnetic field proportional to the electric current. In the presence of both dc and ac electric field components, electron spin resonance occurs if the ac frequency matches with the spin precession frequency that is controlled by the dc field. In a device consisting of two spin-polarized contacts connected by a two-dimensional channel, this mechanism allows electrically tuned detection of the ac signal frequency and amplitude. For GaAs, such detection is effective in the frequency domain around tens of gigahertz.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure

Spin-orbit-induced correlations of the local density of states in two-dimensional electron gas

We study the local density of states (LDOS) of two-dimensional electrons in the presence of spin-orbit (SO) coupling. Although SO coupling has no effect on the average density of states, it manifests itself in the correlations of the LDOS. Namely, the correlation function acquires two satellites centered at energy difference equal to the SO splitting, $2\omega_{SO}$, of the electron Fermi surface. For a smooth disorder the satellites are well separated from the main peak. Weak Zeeman splitting $\omega_{Z} \ll \omega_{SO}$ in a parallel magnetic field causes an anomaly in the shape of the satellites. We consider the effect of SO-induced satellites in the LDOS correlations on the shape of the correlation function of resonant-tunneling conductances at different source-drain biases, which can be measured experimentally. This shape is strongly sensitive to the relation between $\omega_{SO}$ and $\omega_{Z}$.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Interplay of spin-orbit coupling and Zeeman splitting in the absorption lineshape of 2D fermions

We suggest that electron spin resonance (ESR) experiment can be used as a probe of spinon excitations of hypothetical spin-liquid state of frustrated antiferromagnet in the presence of asymmetric Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction. We describe assumptions under which the ESR response is reduced to the response of 2D electron gas with Rashba spin-orbit coupling. Unlike previous treatments, the spin-orbit coupling, \Delta_{SO}, is not assumed small compared to the Zeeman splitting, \Delta_Z. We demonstrate that ESR response diverges at the edges of the absorption spectrum for ac magnetic field perpendicular to the static field. At the compensation point, \Delta_{SO}\approx \Delta_Z, the broad absorption spectrum exhibits features that evolve with temperature, T, even when T is comparable to the Fermi energy.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure

Evanescent states in 2D electron systems with spin-orbit interaction and spin-dependent transmission through a barrier

We find that the total spectrum of electron states in a bounded 2D electron gas with spin-orbit interaction contains two types of evanescent states lying in different energy ranges. The first-type states fill in a gap, which opens in the band of propagating spin-splitted states if tangential momentum is nonzero. They are described by a pure imaginary wavevector. The states of second type lie in the forbidden band. They are described by a complex wavevector. These states give rise to unusual features of the electron transmission through a lateral potential barrier with spin-orbit interaction, such as an oscillatory dependence of the tunneling coefficient on the barrier width and electron energy. But of most interest is the spin polarization of an unpolarized incident electron flow. Particularly, the transmitted electron current acquires spin polarization even if the distribution function of incident electrons is symmetric with respect to the transverse momentum. The polarization efficiency is an oscillatory function of the barrier width. Spin filtering is most effective, if the Fermi energy is close to the barrier height.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, more general boundary conditions are used, typos correcte

Efficient electron spin manipulation in a quantum well by an in-plane electric field

Electron spins in a semiconductor quantum well couple to an electric field {\it via} spin-orbit interaction. We show that the standard spin-orbit coupling mechanisms can provide extraordinary efficient electron spin manipulation by an in-plane ac electric field

Quasi-Ferromagnet Spintronics in Graphene Nanodisk-Lead System

A zigzag graphene nanodisk can be interpreted as a quantum dot with an internal degree of freedom. It is well described by the infinite-range Heisenberg model. We have investigated its thermodynamical properties. There exists a quasi-phase transition between the quasi-ferromagnet and quasi-paramagnet states, as signaled by a sharp peak in the specific heat and in the susceptability. We have also analyzed how thermodynamical properties are affected when two leads are attached to the nanodisk. It is shown that lead effects are described by the many-spin Kondo Hamiltonian. There appears a new peak in the specific heat, and the multiplicity of the ground state becomes just one half of the system without leads. Another lead effect is to enhance the ferromagnetic order. Being a ferromagnet, a nanodisk can be used as a spin filter. Furthermore, since the relaxation time is finite, it is possible to control the spin of the nanodisk by an external spin current. We then propose a rich variety of spintronic devices made of nanodisks and leads, such as spin memory, spin amplifier, spin valve, spin-field-effect transistor, spin diode and spin logic gates such as spin-XNOR gate and spin-XOR gate. Graphene nanodisks could well be basic components of future nanoelectronic and spintronic devices.Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures, invited paper to "focus on graphene

Interacting fermions in two dimensions: beyond the perturbation theory

We consider a system of 2D fermions with short-range interaction. A straightforward perturbation theory is shown to be ill-defined even for an infinitesimally weak interaction, as the perturbative series for the self-energy diverges near the mass shell. We show that the divergences result from the interaction of fermions with the zero-sound collective mode. By re-summing the most divergent diagrams, we obtain a closed form of the self-energy near the mass shell. The spectral function exhibits a threshold feature at the onset of the emission of the zero-sound waves. We also show that the interaction with the zero sound does not affect a non-analytic, $T^{2}$-part of the specific heat.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Spin-polarized electric currents in quantum transport through tubular two-dimensional electron gases

Scattering theory is employed to derive a Landauer-type formula for the spin and the charge currents, through a finite region where spin-orbit interactions are effective. It is shown that the transmission matrix yields the spatial direction and the magnitude of the spin polarization. This formula is used to study the currents through a tubular two-dimensional electron gas. In this cylindrical geometry, which may be realized in experiment, the transverse conduction channels are not mixed (provided that the spin-orbit coupling is uniform). It is then found that for modest boundary scattering, each step in the quantized conductance is split into two, and the new steps have a non-zero spin conductance, with the spin polarization perpendicular to the direction of the current.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure