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

Dissipation effects in spin-Hall transport of electrons and holes

We investigate the spin-Hall effect of both electrons and holes in semiconductors using the Kubo formula in the correct zero-frequency limit taking into account the finite momentum relaxation time of carriers in real semiconductors. This approach allows to analyze the range of validity of recent theoretical findings. In particular, the spin-Hall conductivity vanishes for vanishing spin-orbit coupling if the correct zero-frequency limit is performed.Comment: 5 pages, no figures, version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Anisotropic transport in the two-dimensional electron gas in the presence of spin-orbit coupling

In a two-dimensional electron gas as realized by a semiconductor quantum well, the presence of spin-orbit coupling of both the Rashba and Dresselhaus type leads to anisotropic dispersion relations and Fermi contours. We study the effect of this anisotropy on the electrical conductivity in the presence of fixed impurity scatterers. The conductivity also shows in general an anisotropy which can be tuned by varying the Rashba coefficient. This effect provides a method of detecting and investigating spin-orbit coupling by measuring spin-unpolarized electrical currents in the diffusive regime. Our approach is based on an exact solution of the two-dimensional Boltzmann equation and provides also a natural framework for investigating other transport effects including the anomalous Hall effect.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure included. Discussion of experimental impact enlarged; error in calculation of conductivity contribution corrected (cf. Eq. (A14)), no changes in qualitative results and physical consequence