6,157 research outputs found
Generation of spin currents and spin densities in systems with reduced symmetry
We show that the spin-current response of a semiconductor crystal to an
external electric field is considerably more complex than previously assumed.
While in systems of high symmetry only the spin-Hall components are allowed, in
systems of lower symmetry other non-spin-Hall components may be present. We
argue that, when spin-orbit interactions are present only in the band
structure, the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic contributions to the
spin current is not useful. We show that the generation of spin currents and
that of spin densities in an electric field are closely related, and that our
general theory provides a systematic way to distinguish between them in
experiment. We discuss also the meaning of vertex corrections in systems with
spin-orbit interactions.Comment: 4 page
Equilibrium spin currents: Non-Abelian gauge invariance and color diamagnetism in condensed matter
The spin-orbit (SO) interaction in condensed matter can be described in terms
of a non-Abelian potential known in high-energy physics as a color field. I
show that a magnetic component of this color field inevitably generates
diamagnetic color currents which are just the equilibrium spin currents
discussed in a condensed matter context. These dissipationless spin currents
thus represent a universal property of systems with SO interaction. In
semiconductors with linear SO coupling the spin currents are related to the
effective non-Abelian field via Yang-Mills magnetostatics equation.Comment: RevTeX, 4 page
Spin precession and alternating spin polarization in spin-3/2 hole systems
The spin density matrix for spin-3/2 hole systems can be decomposed into a
sequence of multipoles which has important higher-order contributions beyond
the ones known for electron systems [R. Winkler, Phys. Rev. B \textbf{70},
125301 (2004)]. We show here that the hole spin polarization and the
higher-order multipoles can precess due to the spin-orbit coupling in the
valence band, yet in the absence of external or effective magnetic fields. Hole
spin precession is important in the context of spin relaxation and offers the
possibility of new device applications. We discuss this precession in the
context of recent experiments and suggest a related experimental setup in which
hole spin precession gives rise to an alternating spin polarization.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in Physical Review Letter
Spin interference in silicon three-terminal one-dimensional rings
We present the first findings of the spin transistor effect in the Rashba
gate-controlled ring embedded in the p-type self-assembled silicon quantum well
that is prepared on the n-type Si (100) surface. The coherence and phase
sensitivity of the spin-dependent transport of holes are studied by varying the
value of the external magnetic field and the bias voltage that are applied
perpendicularly to the plane of the double-slit ring. Firstly, the amplitude
and phase sensitivity of the 0.7(2e^2/h) feature of the hole quantum
conductance staircase revealed by the quantum point contact inserted in the one
of the arms of the double-slit ring are found to result from the interplay of
the spontaneous spin polarization and the Rashba spin-orbit interaction.
Secondly, the quantum scatterers connected to two one-dimensional leads and the
quantum point contact inserted are shown to define the amplitude and the phase
of the Aharonov-Bohm and the Aharonov-Casher conductance oscillations.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure
Landau level mixing by full spin-orbit interactions
We study a two-dimensional electron gas in a perpendicular magnetic field in
the presence of both Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit interactions. Using a
Bogoliubov transformation we are able to write an approximate formula for the
Landau levels, thanks to the simpler form of the resulting Hamiltonian. The
exact numerical calculation of the energy levels, is also made simpler by our
formulation. The approximate formula and the exact numerical results show
excellent agreement for typical semiconductors, especially at high magnetic
fields. We also show how effective Zeeman coupling is modified by spin-orbit
interactions.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure
Two-dimensional imaging of the spin-orbit effective magnetic field
We report on spatially resolved measurements of the spin-orbit effective
magnetic field in a GaAs/InGaAs quantum-well. Biased gate electrodes lead to an
electric-field distribution in which the quantum-well electrons move according
to the local orientation and magnitude of the electric field. This motion
induces Rashba and Dresselhaus effective magnetic fields. The projection of the
sum of these fields onto an external magnetic field is monitored locally by
measuring the electron spin-precession frequency using time-resolved Faraday
rotation. A comparison with simulations shows good agreement with the
experimental data.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
Edge Dynamics in a Quantum Spin Hall State: Effects from Rashba Spin-Orbit Interaction
We analyze the dynamics of the helical edge modes of a quantum spin Hall
state in the presence of a spatially non-uniform Rashba spin-orbit (SO)
interaction. A randomly fluctuating Rashba SO coupling is found to open a
scattering channel which causes localization of the edge modes for a weakly
screened electron-electron (e-e) interaction. A periodic modulation of the SO
coupling, with a wave number commensurate with the Fermi momentum, makes the
edge insulating already at intermediate strengths of the e-e interaction. We
discuss implications for experiments on edge state transport in a HgTe quantum
well.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures; published versio
Spin relaxation rates in quasi-one-dimensional coupled quantum dots
We study theoretically the spin relaxation rate in quasi-one-dimensional
coupled double semiconductor quantum dots. We consider InSb and GaAs-based
systems in the presence of the Rashba spin-orbit interaction, which causes
mixing of opposite-spin states, and allows phonon-mediated transitions between
energy eigenstates. Contributions from all phonon modes and coupling mechanisms
in zincblende semiconductors are taken into account. The spin relaxation rate
is shown to display a sharp, cusp-like maximum as function of the
interdot-barrier width, at a value of the width which can be controlled by an
external magnetic field. This remarkable behavior is associated with the
symmetric-antisymmetric level splitting in the structure.Comment: 4 figures, Submitted to Applied Physics Letter
Fast and robust spin manipulation in a quantum dot by electric fields
We apply an invariant-based inverse engineering method to control by
time-dependent electric fields electron spin dynamics in a quantum dot with
spin-orbit coupling in a weak magnetic field. The designed electric fields
provide a shortcut to adiabatic processes that flips the spin rapidly, thus
avoiding decoherence effects. This approach, being robust with respect to the
device-dependent noise, can open new possibilities for the spin-based quantum
information processing.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, with supplemental material. Errors in the
published version have been correcte
Invariant expansion for the trigonal band structure of graphene
We present a symmetry analysis of the trigonal band structure in graphene,
elucidating the transformational properties of the underlying basis functions
and the crucial role of time-reversal invariance. Group theory is used to
derive an invariant expansion of the Hamiltonian for electron states near the K
points of the graphene Brillouin zone. Besides yielding the characteristic
k-linear dispersion and higher-order corrections to it, this approach enables
the systematic incorporation of all terms arising from external electric and
magnetic fields, strain, and spin-orbit coupling up to any desired order.
Several new contributions are found, in addition to reproducing results
obtained previously within tight-binding calculations. Physical ramifications
of these new terms are discussed.Comment: 10 pages, 1 figure; expanded version with more details and additional
result
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