Some symmetry properties of spin currents and spin polarizations in multi-terminal mesoscopic spin-orbit coupled systems

We study theoretically some symmetry properties of spin currents and spin polarizations in multi-terminal mesoscopic spin-orbit coupled systems. Based on a scattering wave function approach, we show rigorously that in the equilibrium state no finite spin polarizations can exist in a multi-terminal mesoscopic spin-orbit coupled system (both in the leads and in the spin-orbit coupled region) and also no finite equilibrium terminal spin currents can exist. By use of a typical two-terminal mesoscopic spin-orbit coupled system as the example, we show explicitly that the nonequilibrium terminal spin currents in a multi-terminal mesoscopic spin-orbit coupled system are non-conservative in general. This non-conservation of terminal spin currents is not caused by the use of an improper definition of spin current but is intrinsic to spin-dependent transports in mesoscopic spin-orbit coupled systems. We also show that the nonequilibrium lateral edge spin accumulation induced by a longitudinal charge current in a thin strip of \textit{finite} length of a two-dimensional electronic system with intrinsic spin-orbit coupling may be non-antisymmetric in general, which implies that some cautions may need to be taken when attributing the occurrence of nonequilibrium lateral edge spin accumulation induced by a longitudinal charge current in such a system to an intrinsic spin Hall effect.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure

Temperature Profiles of Accretion Disks around Rapidly Rotating Neutron Stars in General Relativity and Implications for Cygnus X-2

We calculate the temperature profiles of (thin) accretion disks around rapidly rotating neutron stars (with low surface magnetic fields), taking into account the full effects of general relativity. We then consider a model for the spectrum of the X-ray emission from the disk, parameterized by the mass accretion rate, the color temperature and the rotation rate of the neutron star. We derive constraints on these parameters for the X-ray source Cygnus X-2 using the estimates of the maximum temperature in the disk along with the disk and boundary layer luminosities, using the spectrum inferred from the EXOSAT data. Our calculations suggest that the neutron star in Cygnus X-2 rotates close to the centrifugal mass-shed limit. Possible constraints on the neutron star equation of state are also discussed.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figs., 2 tables, uses psbox.tex and emulateapj5.sty. Submitted to Ap

Non-equilibrium spin polarization effects in spin-orbit coupling system and contacting metallic leads

We study theoretically the current-induced spin polarization effect in a two-terminal mesoscopic structure which is composed of a semiconductor two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) bar with Rashba spin-orbit (SO) interaction and two attached ideal leads. The nonequilibrium spin density is calculated by solving the scattering wave functions explicitly within the ballistic transport regime. We found that for a Rashba SO system the electrical current can induce spin polarization in the SO system as well as in the ideal leads. The induced polarization in the 2DEG shows some qualitative features of the intrinsic spin Hall effect. On the other hand, the nonequilibrium spin density in the ideal leads, after being averaged in the transversal direction, is independent of the distance measured from the lead/SO system interface, except in the vicinity of the interface. Such a lead polarization effect can even be enhanced by the presence of weak impurity scattering in the SO system and may be detectable in real experiments.Comment: 6 pages,5 figure

Brans-Dicke theory: Jordan vs Einstein Frame

It is well known that, in contrast to general relativity, there are two conformally related frames, the Jordan frame and the Einstein frame, in which the Brans-Dicke theory, a prototype of generic scalar-tensor theory, can be formulated. There is a long standing debate on the physical equivalence of the formulations in these two different frames. It is shown here that gravitational deflection of light to second order accuracy may observationally distinguish the two versions of the Brans-Dicke theory.Comment: 10 pages, Accepted by Mod. Phys. Letts.

Conductance calculations for quantum wires and interfaces: mode matching and Green functions

Landauer's formula relates the conductance of a quantum wire or interface to transmission probabilities. Total transmission probabilities are frequently calculated using Green function techniques and an expression first derived by Caroli. Alternatively, partial transmission probabilities can be calculated from the scattering wave functions that are obtained by matching the wave functions in the scattering region to the Bloch modes of ideal bulk leads. An elegant technique for doing this, formulated originally by Ando, is here generalized to any Hamiltonian that can be represented in tight-binding form. A more compact expression for the transmission matrix elements is derived and it is shown how all the Green function results can be derived from the mode matching technique. We illustrate this for a simple model which can be studied analytically, and for an Fe|vacuum|Fe tunnel junction which we study using first-principles calculations.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figure

Nonlinear Transport of Bose-Einstein Condensates Through Waveguides with Disorder

We study the coherent flow of a guided Bose-Einstein condensate incident over a disordered region of length L. We introduce a model of disordered potential that originates from magnetic fluctuations inherent to microfabricated guides. This model allows for analytical and numerical studies of realistic transport experiments. The repulsive interaction among the condensate atoms in the beam induces different transport regimes. Below some critical interaction (or for sufficiently small L) a stationary flow is observed. In this regime, the transmission decreases exponentially with L. For strong interaction (or large L), the system displays a transition towards a time dependent flow with an algebraic decay of the time averaged transmission.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figure

Characteristic slepton signal in anomaly mediated SUSY breaking models via gauge boson fusion at the LHC

We point out that slepton pairs produced via gauge boson fusion in anomaly mediated supersymmetry breaking (AMSB) model have very characteristic and almost clean signal at the Large Hadron Collider. In this article, we discuss how one lepton associated with missing energy and produced in between two high-$p_T$ and high-mass forward jets can explore quite heavy sleptons in this scenario.Comment: Version to appear in Physical Review