284 research outputs found
Electron Spin Injection at a Schottky Contact
We investigate theoretically electrical spin injection at a Schottky contact
between a spin-polarized electrode and a non-magnetic semiconductor. Current
and electron density spin-polarizations are discussed as functions of barrier
energy and semiconductor doping density. The effect of a spin-dependent
interface resistance that results from a tunneling region at the
contact/semiconductor interface is described. The model can serve as a guide
for designing spin-injection experiments with regard to the interface
properties and device structure.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
Spin Nomenclature for Semiconductors and Magnetic Metals
The different conventions used in the semiconductor and magnetic metals
communities can cause confusion in the context of spin polarization and
transport in simple heterostructures. In semiconductors, terminology is based
on the orientation of the electron spin, while in magnetic metals it is based
on the orientation of the moment. In the rapidly expanding field of
spintronics, where both semiconductors and metallic metals are important, some
commonly used terms ("spin-up," "majority spin") can have different meanings.
Here, we clarify nomenclature relevant to spin transport and optical
polarization by relating the common physical observables and "definitions" of
spin polarization to the fundamental concept of conservation of angular
momentum within a well-defined reference frame.Comment: 3 pages, 2 figures, 16 reference
Modelling of Optical Detection of Spin-Polarized Carrier Injection into Light-Emitting Devices
We investigate the emission of multimodal polarized light from Light Emitting
Devices due to spin-aligned carriers injection. The results are derived through
operator Langevin equations, which include thermal and carrier-injection
fluctuations, as well as non-radiative recombination and electronic g-factor
temperature dependence. We study the dynamics of the optoelectronic processes
and show how the temperature-dependent g-factor and magnetic field affect the
polarization degree of the emitted light. In addition, at high temperatures,
thermal fluctuation reduces the efficiency of the optoelectronic detection
method for measuring spin-polarization degree of carrier injection into
non-magnetic semicondutors.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, replaced by revised version. To appear in Phys.
Rev.
Electric-field dependent spin diffusion and spin injection into semiconductors
We derive a drift-diffusion equation for spin polarization in semiconductors
by consistently taking into account electric-field effects and nondegenerate
electron statistics. We identify a high-field diffusive regime which has no
analogue in metals. In this regime there are two distinct spin diffusion
lengths. Furthermore, spin injection from a ferromagnetic metal into a
semiconductor is enhanced by several orders of magnitude and spins can be
transported over distances much greater than the low-field spin diffusion
length.Comment: 5 pages, 3 eps figure
Spin injection through the depletion layer: a theory of spin-polarized p-n junctions and solar cells
A drift-diffusion model for spin-charge transport in spin-polarized {\it p-n}
junctions is developed and solved numerically for a realistic set of material
parameters based on GaAs. It is demonstrated that spin polarization can be
injected through the depletion layer by both minority and majority carriers,
making all-semiconductor devices such as spin-polarized solar cells and bipolar
transistors feasible. Spin-polarized {\it p-n} junctions allow for
spin-polarized current generation, spin amplification, voltage control of spin
polarization, and a significant extension of spin diffusion range.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Spin oscillations in transient diffusion of a spin pulse in n-type semiconductor quantum wells
By studying the time and spatial evolution of a pulse of the spin
polarization in -type semiconductor quantum wells, we highlight the
importance of the off-diagonal spin coherence in spin diffusion and transport.
Spin oscillations and spin polarization reverse along the the direction of spin
diffusion in the absence of the applied magnetic field are predicted from our
investigation.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in PR
Mesoscopic Stern-Gerlach device to polarize spin currents
Spin preparation and spin detection are fundamental problems in spintronics
and in several solid state proposals for quantum information processing. Here
we propose the mesoscopic equivalent of an optical polarizing beam splitter
(PBS). This interferometric device uses non-dispersive phases (Aharonov-Bohm
and Rashba) in order to separate spin up and spin down carriers into distinct
outputs and thus it is analogous to a Stern-Gerlach apparatus. It can be used
both as a spin preparation device and as a spin measuring device by converting
spin into charge (orbital) degrees of freedom. An important feature of the
proposed spin polarizer is that no ferromagnetic contacts are used.Comment: Updated to the published versio
Territorial Developments Based on Graffiti: a Statistical Mechanics Approach
We study the well-known sociological phenomenon of gang aggregation and
territory formation through an interacting agent system defined on a lattice.
We introduce a two-gang Hamiltonian model where agents have red or blue
affiliation but are otherwise indistinguishable. In this model, all
interactions are indirect and occur only via graffiti markings, on-site as well
as on nearest neighbor locations. We also allow for gang proliferation and
graffiti suppression. Within the context of this model, we show that gang
clustering and territory formation may arise under specific parameter choices
and that a phase transition may occur between well-mixed, possibly dilute
configurations and well separated, clustered ones. Using methods from
statistical mechanics, we study the phase transition between these two
qualitatively different scenarios. In the mean-field rendition of this model,
we identify parameter regimes where the transition is first or second order. In
all cases, we have found that the transitions are a consequence solely of the
gang to graffiti couplings, implying that direct gang to gang interactions are
not strictly necessary for gang territory formation; in particular, graffiti
may be the sole driving force behind gang clustering. We further discuss
possible sociological -- as well as ecological -- ramifications of our results
Nanosized superparamagnetic precipitates in cobalt-doped ZnO
The existence of semiconductors exhibiting long-range ferromagnetic ordering
at room temperature still is controversial. One particularly important issue is
the presence of secondary magnetic phases such as clusters, segregations,
etc... These are often tedious to detect, leading to contradictory
interpretations. We show that in our cobalt doped ZnO films grown
homoepitaxially on single crystalline ZnO substrates the magnetism
unambiguously stems from metallic cobalt nano-inclusions. The magnetic behavior
was investigated by SQUID magnetometry, x-ray magnetic circular dichroism, and
AC susceptibility measurements. The results were correlated to a detailed
microstructural analysis based on high resolution x-ray diffraction,
transmission electron microscopy, and electron-spectroscopic imaging. No
evidence for carrier mediated ferromagnetic exchange between diluted cobalt
moments was found. In contrast, the combined data provide clear evidence that
the observed room temperature ferromagnetic-like behavior originates from
nanometer sized superparamagnetic metallic cobalt precipitates.Comment: 20 pages, 6 figures; details about background subtraction added to
section III. (XMCD
ICON 2019: International Scientific Tendinopathy Symposium Consensus: Clinical Terminology
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.Background Persistent tendon pain that impairs function has inconsistent medical terms that can influence choice of treatment.1 When a person is told they have tendinopathy by clinician A or tendinitis by clinician B, they might feel confused or be alarmed at receiving what they might perceive as two different diagnoses. This may lead to loss of confidence in their health professional and likely adds to uncertainty if they were to search for information about their condition. Clear and uniform terminology also assists inter-professional communication. Inconsistency in terminology for painful tendon disorders is a problem at numerous anatomical sites. Historically, the term ‘tendinitis’ was first used to describe tendon pain, thickening and impaired function (online supplementary figure S1). The term ‘tendinosis’ has also been used in a small number of publications, some of which were very influential.2 3 Subsequently, ‘tendinopathy’ emerged as the most common term for persistent tendon pain.4 5 To our knowledge, experts (clinicians and researchers) or patients have never engaged in a formal process to discuss the terminology we use. We believe that health professionals have not yet agreed on the appropriate terminology for painful tendon conditions.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio
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