Frequency doubling and memory effects in the Spin Hall Effect

We predict that when an alternating voltage is applied to a semiconducting system with inhomogeneous electron density in the direction perpendicular to main current flow, the spin Hall effect results in a transverse voltage containing a double-frequency component. We also demonstrate that there is a phase shift between applied and transverse voltage oscillations, related to the general memristive behavior of semiconductor spintronic systems. A different method to achieve frequency doubling based on the inverse spin Hall effect is also discussed

Magnetoresistance due to edge spin accumulation

Because of spin-orbit interaction, an electrical current is accompanied by a spin current resulting in spin accumulation near the sample edges. Due again to spin-orbit interaction this causes a small decrease of the sample resistance. An applied magnetic field will destroy the edge spin polarization leading to a positive magnetoresistance. This effect provides means to study spin accumulation by electrical measurements. The origin and the general properties of the phenomenological equations describing coupling between charge and spin currents are also discussed.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Minor corrections corresponding to the published versio

Pure spin photocurrents in low-dimensional structures

As is well known the absorption of circularly polarized light in semiconductors results in optical orientation of electron spins and helicity-dependent electric photocurrent, and the absorption of linearly polarized light is accompanied by optical alignment of electron momenta. Here we show that the absorption of unpolarized light leads to generation of a pure spin current, although both the average electron spin and electric current vanish. We demonstrate this for direct interband and intersubband as well as indirect intraband (Drude-like) optical transitions in semiconductor quantum wells (QWs).Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Prediction of Large Events on a Dynamical Model of a Fault

We present results for long term and intermediate term prediction algorithms applied to a simple mechanical model of a fault. We use long term prediction methods based, for example, on the distribution of repeat times between large events to establish a benchmark for predictability in the model. In comparison, intermediate term prediction techniques, analogous to the pattern recognition algorithms CN and M8 introduced and studied by Keilis-Borok et al., are more effective at predicting coming large events. We consider the implications of several different quality functions Q which can be used to optimize the algorithms with respect to features such as space, time, and magnitude windows, and find that our results are not overly sensitive to variations in these algorithm parameters. We also study the intrinsic uncertainties associated with seismicity catalogs of restricted lengths.Comment: 33 pages, plain.tex with special macros include

Spin Accumulation at Ferromagnet/Non-magnetic Material Interfaces

Many proposed and realized spintronic devices involve spin injection and accumulation at an interface between a ferromagnet and a non-magnetic material. We examine the electric field, voltage profile, charge distribution, spin fluxes, and spin accumulation at such an interface. We include the effects of both screening and spin scattering. We also include both the spin-dependent chemical potentials {\mu}_{\uparrow,\downarrow} and the effective magnetic field H* that is zero in equilibrium. For a Co/Cu interface, we find that the spin accumulation in the copper is an order of magnitude larger when both chemical potential and effective magnetic field are included. We also show that screening contributes to the spin accumulation in the ferromagnet; this contribution can be significant.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, 2 table

Aperiodicity in one-way Markov cycles and repeat times of large earthquakes in faults

A common use of Markov Chains is the simulation of the seismic cycle in a fault, i.e. as a renewal model for the repetition of its characteristic earthquakes. This representation is consistent with Reid's elastic rebound theory. Here it is proved that in {\it any} one-way Markov cycle, the aperiodicity of the corresponding distribution of cycle lengths is always lower than one. This fact concurs with observations of large earthquakes in faults all over the world

Spin-orbit terms in multi-subband electron systems: A bridge between bulk and two-dimensional Hamiltonians

We analyze the spin-orbit terms in multi-subband quasi-two-dimensional electron systems, and how they descend from the bulk Hamiltonian of the conduction band. Measurements of spin-orbit terms in one subband alone are shown to give incomplete information on the spin-orbit Hamiltonian of the system. They should be complemented by measurements of inter-subband spin-orbit matrix elements. Tuning electron energy levels with a quantizing magnetic field is proposed as an experimental approach to this problem.Comment: Typos noticed in the published version have been corrected and several references added. Published in the special issue of Semiconductors in memory of V.I. Pere

Magneto-gyrotropic effects in semiconductor quantum wells (review)

Magneto-gyrotropic photogalvanic effects in quantum wells are reviewed. We discuss experimental data, results of phenomenological analysis and microscopic models of these effects. The current flow is driven by spin-dependent scattering in low-dimensional structures gyrotropic media resulted in asymmetry of photoexcitation and relaxation processes. Several applications of the effects are also considered.Comment: 28 pages, 13 figure