Non-Abelian spin-orbit gauge: Persistent spin helix and quantum square ring

We re-express the Rashba and Dresselhaus interactions as non-Abelian spin-orbit gauges and provide a new perspective in understanding the persistent spin helix [Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 236601 (2006)]. A spin-orbit interacting system can be transformed into a free electron gas in the equal-strength Rashba-Dresselhaus [001] linear model, the Dresselhaus [110] linear model, and a one-dimensional system. A general tight-binding Hamiltonian for non-uniform spin-orbit interactions and hoppings along arbitrary directions, within the framework of finite difference method, is obtained. As an application based on this Hamiltonian, a quantum square ring in contact with two ideal leads is found to exhibit four states, insulating, spin-filtering, spin-flipping, and spin-keeping states.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure

Anomalous spin Hall effects in Dresselhaus (110) quantum wells

Anomalous spin Hall effects that belong to the intrinsic type in Dresselhaus (110) quantum wells are discussed. For the out-of-plane spin component, antisymmetric current-induced spin polarization induces opposite spin Hall accumulation, even though there is no spin-orbit force due to Dresselhaus (110) coupling. A surprising feature of this spin Hall induction is that the spin accumulation sign does not change upon bias reversal. Contribution to the spin Hall accumulation from the spin Hall induction and the spin deviation due to intrinsic spin-orbit force as well as extrinsic spin scattering, can be straightforwardly distinguished simply by reversing the bias. For the inplane component, inclusion of a weak Rashba coupling leads to a new type of $S_y$ intrinsic spin Hall effect solely due to spin-orbit-force-driven spin separation.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Quantum coherence and its dephasing in the giant spin Hall effect and nonlocal voltage generated by magnetotransport through multiterminal graphene bars

Motivated by the recent experimental observation [D. A. Abanin et al., Science 323, 328 (2011)] of nonlocality in magnetotransport near the Dirac point in six-terminal graphene Hall bars, for a wide range of temperatures and magnetic fields, we develop a nonequilibrium Green function (NEGF) theory of this phenomenon. In the phase-coherent regime and strong magnetic field, we find large spin Hall (SH) conductance in four-terminal bridges, where the SH current is pure only at the Dirac point (DP), as well as the nonlocal voltage at a remote location in six-terminal bars where the direct and inverse SH effect operate at the same time. The "momentum-relaxing" dephasing reduces their values at the DP by two orders of magnitude while concurrently washing out any features away from the DP. Our theory is based on the Meir-Wingreen formula with dephasing introduced via phenomenological many-body self-energies, which is then linearized for multiterminal geometries to extract currents and voltages.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, PDFLaTe

Microwave-driven ferromagnet--topological-insulator heterostructures: The prospect for giant spin battery effect and quantized charge pump devices

We study heterostructures where a two-dimensional topological insulator (TI) is attached to two normal metal (NM) electrodes while an island of a ferromagnetic insulator (FI) with precessing magnetization covers a portion of its lateral edges to induce time-dependent exchange field underneath via the magnetic proximity effect. When the FI island covers both lateral edges, such device pumps pure spin current in the absence of any bias voltage, thereby acting as an efficient spin battery with giant output current even at very small microwave power input driving the precession. When only one lateral edge is covered by the FI island, both charge and spin current are pumped into the NM electrodes. We delineate conditions for the corresponding conductances (current-to-microwave-frequency ratio) to be quantized in a wide interval of precession cone angles, which is robust with respect to weak disorder and can be further extended by changes in device geometry.Comment: 7 pages, 7 color figures, PDFLaTe

Rashba Spin Interferometer

A spin interferometer utilizing the Rashba effect is proposed. The novel design is composed of a one-dimensional (1D) straight wire and a 1D half-ring. By calculating the norm of the superposed wave function, we derive analytical expressions to describe the spin interference spectrum as a function of the Rashba coupling strength. Presented spin interference results are identified to include (i) the quantum-mechanical 4pi rotation effect, (ii) geometric effect, and (iii) Shubnikov-de Haas-like beating effect.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, appears in the proceedings of the 10th Joint MMM/Intermag Conferenc

Quantum World-line Monte Carlo Method with Non-binary Loops and Its Application

A quantum world-line Monte Carlo method for high-symmetrical quantum models is proposed. Firstly, based on a representation of a partition function using the Matsubara formula, the principle of quantum world-line Monte Carlo methods is briefly outlined and a new algorithm using non-binary loops is given for quantum models with high symmetry as SU(N). The algorithm is called non-binary loop algorithm because of non-binary loop updatings. Secondary, one example of our numerical studies using the non-binary loop updating is shown. It is the problem of the ground state of two-dimensional SU(N) anti-ferromagnets. Our numerical study confirms that the ground state in the small N <= 4 case is a magnetic ordered Neel state, but the one in the large N >= 5 case has no magnetic order, and it becomes a dimer state.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, Invited talk at the 18th Annual Workshop on Recent Developments of Computer Simulation Studies in Condensed Matter Physics, Athens, 7-11 March, 200