On the mass dependent quenching of magnetic transitions in nuclei

The recently extracted mass dependence of the quenching effect of magnetic strength is studied within the model where spin-isospin core polarization is treated using dimesic function techniques. Renormalized magnetic multipole operators are constructed. We find that the quenching effect increases with increasing mass number, in accordance with the experimental finding, and approaches smoothly the infinite matter prediction. Furthermore, the spin dependence of the quenching effect is pointed out.     

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 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.     

The critical role of the barrier thickness in spin filter tunneling

Spin filter tunneling is considered in the low bias limit as functions of the temperature dependent barrier parameters. We demonstrate the generation of spin polarized tunneling currents in relation to the magnetic order parameter, and discuss how an interfacially suppressed order parameter leads to a temperature dependent tunneling current asymmetry. Analyzing the full parameter space reveals that the often overlooked barrier thickness plays a critical role in spin filter tunneling. With all else fixed, thicker barriers yield higher spin polarization, and allow a given polarization to be achieved at higher temperatures. This insight may open the door for new materials to serve as spin filter barriers.     

Spin polarization induced by an electric field in the presence of weak localization effects

We evaluate the spin polarization (Edelstein or inverse spin galvanic effect) and the spin Hall current induced by an applied electric field by including the weak localization corrections for a two-dimensional electron gas. We show that the weak localization effects yield logarithmic corrections to both the spin polarization conductivity relating the spin polarization and the electric field and to the spin Hall angle relating the spin and charge currents. The renormalization of both the spin polarization conductivity and the spin Hall angle combine to produce a zero correction to the total spin Hall conductivity as required by an exact identity. Suggestions for the experimental observation of the effect are given.     

Reprint of : Spin polarization induced by an electric field in the presence of weak localization effects

We evaluate the spin polarization (Edelstein or inverse spin galvanic effect) and the spin Hall current induced by an applied electric field by including the weak localization corrections for a two-dimensional electron gas. We show that the weak localization effects yield logarithmic corrections to both the spin polarization conductivity relating the spin polarization and the electric field and to the spin Hall angle relating the spin and charge currents. The renormalization of both the spin polarization conductivity and the spin Hall angle combine to produce a zero correction to the total spin Hall conductivity as required by an exact identity. Suggestions for the experimental observation of the effect are given.     

Generating spin currents in semiconductors with the spin Hall effect

We investigate electrically induced spin currents generated by the spin Hall effect in GaAs structures that distinguish edge effects from spin transport. Using Kerr rotation microscopy to image the spin polarization, we demonstrate that the observed spin accumulation is due to a transverse bulk electron spin current, which can drive spin polarization nearly 40 microns into a region in which there is minimal electric field. Using a model that incorporates the effects of spin drift, we determine the transverse spin drift velocity from the magnetic field dependence of the spin polarization.     

Electrical control of the direction of spin accumulation

We are able to continuously change the direction of polarization of spin accumulation in a nonmagnetic metal by varying the currents injected by two ferromagnetic spin injectors. From measurements made at a distance from the injection area, we find a cosvarphi variation of the spin signal. This confirms that the angle of polarization of the nonlocal spin polarization with respect to the magnetization of the fixed spin detector is continuously varied as we change the injection currents. We give an explanation for the origin of this simple cosvarphi variation of the spin signal.     

Photocurrent spin diode: Electrically controlled sign reversal of current polarization

We report a study of spin-dependent transport through a quantum dot irradiated by continuous circularly polarized light resonant to the electron-heavy hole transition. We use the nonequilibrium Green's function to calculate the spin accumulation, spin-resolved currents, and current polarization in the presence of an external bias and intradot Coulomb interaction. It is found that for a range of external biases sign reversal of the current polarization can be modulated. The system thus operates as a rectifier for spin current polarization. This effect follows from the interplay between the external irradiation and the Coulomb repulsion. The spin-polarized transport through a three-terminal device is also discussed. Spin current with high polarization could be obtained due to spin filter effect.     

Polarized nonequilibrium Bose-Einstein condensates of spinor exciton polaritons in a magnetic field

The effect of a magnetic field on a spinor exciton-polariton condensate has been investigated. A quenching of a polariton Zeeman splitting and an elliptical polarization of the condensate have been observed at low magnetic fields B<2 T. The effects are attributed to a competition between the magnetic field induced circular polarization buildup and the spin-anisotropic polariton-polariton interaction which favors a linear polarization. The sign of the circular polarization of the condensate emission at B<3 T is negative, suggesting that a dynamic condensation in the excited spin state rather than the ground spin state takes place in this magnetic field range. From about 2T on, the Zeeman splitting opens and from then on the slope of the circular polarization degree changes its sign. For magnetic fields larger than the 3 T, the upper spin state occupation is energetically suppressed and circularly polarized condensation takes place in the ground state.     

Multipole interference in the second-harmonic optical radiation from gold nanoparticles

We provide experimental evidence of higher multipole (magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole) radiation in second-harmonic (SH) generation from arrays of metal nanoparticles. Fundamental differences in the radiative properties of electric dipoles and higher multipoles yield opposite interference effects observed in the SH intensities measured in the reflected and transmitted directions. These interference effects clearly depend on the polarization of the fundamental field, directly indicating the importance of multipole effects in the nonlinear response. We estimate that higher multipoles contribute up to 20% of the total emitted SH field amplitude for certain polarization configurations.     

Optical analogue of the spin Hall effect in a photonic cavity

We observe anisotropy in the polarization flux generated in a GaAs/AlAs photonic cavity by optical illumination, equivalent to spin currents in strongly coupled microcavities. Polarization rotation of the scattered photons around the Rayleigh ring is due to the TE-TM splitting of the cavity mode. Resolving the circular polarization components of the transmission reveals a separation of the polarization flux in momentum space. These observations constitute the optical analogue of the spin Hall effect.     

Direct observation of optically injected spin-polarized currents in semiconductors

Quantum interference of one- and two-photon excitation of unbiased semiconductors yields ballistic currents of carriers. The magnitudes and directions of the currents and the spin orientations of the carriers are controlled by the polarization and relative phase of the exciting femtosecond laser fields. We provide direct experimental evidence for the spin polarization of the optically injected spin currents by detecting a phase-dependent spatial shift of the circularly polarized photoluminescence in cubic ZnSe.     

Rashba-induced transverse pure spin currents in a four-terminal quantum dot ring

By applying a local Rashba spin–orbit interaction to an individual quantum dot of a four-terminal four-quantum-dot ring and introducing a finite bias between the longitudinal terminals, we theoretically investigate the charge and spin currents in the transverse terminals. It is found that when the quantum dot levels are separate from the chemical potentials of the transverse terminals, notable pure spin currents appear in the transverse terminals with the same amplitude but opposite polarization directions. In addition, the polarization directions of such pure spin currents can be inverted by altering the structure parameters, i.e., the magnetic flux, the bias voltage, and the values of quantum dot levels with respect to the chemical potentials of the transverse terminals.     

Theoretical study on spin-polarized injection of electrical currents into polymer semiconductors

Different from electrons and holes in traditional inorganic semiconductors, the charge carriers in polymer semiconductors are spin polarons and spinless bipolarons. In this paper, a theoretical model is presented to describe the spin-polarized injection of electrical currents from a ferromagnetic contact into a nonmagnetic polymer semiconductor. In this model, a new relation of conductivity to concentration polarization for polymer semiconductors is introduced based on a three-channel model to describe the spin-polarized injection of electrical currents under large electrical current densities. The calculated results of the model reveal the effects of the polaron ratio, the carrier concentration polarization, the interfacial conductance, the bulk conductivity of materials, and the electrical current density, etc. on the spin polarization of electrical currents. As conclusions, the large and matched bulk conductivity of materials, the small spin-dependent interfacial conductance, the thin polymer thickness and the large enough electrical current are critical factors for upgrading the spin polarization of electrical currents in polymer semiconductors. Particularly, when the polaron ratio in polymer semiconductors approaches the concentration polarization of the ferromagnetic contact, a modest concentration polarization is sufficient for achieving a nearly complete spin-polarized injection of electrical currents.     

Consistency in formulation of spin current and torque associated with a variance of angular momentum

Based on the Noether's theorem, we develop systematically and rigorously the spin-dependent formulation of the conservation laws. The effect of the electronic polarization due to the spin-orbit coupling is included in the Maxwell equations. The polarization is related to the antisymmetric components of spin current, and it provides a possibility to measure the spin current directly. The variances of spin and orbit angular momentum currents imply a torque on the "electric dipole" associated with the moving electron. The dependencies of the torque on the polarization and the force on the motions of spin-polarized electrons in a two-dimensional electron gas with the Rashba spin-orbit coupling are discussed.     

一维铁磁/有机共轭聚合物的自旋极化研究

针对最近关于自旋注入有机体的实验研究，理论上计算了有机分子与磁性原子接触时的自旋极化现象.通过调节磁性原子的自旋劈裂强度，发现有机分子链内的自旋极化弱于金属链，但强于半导体链.同时还研究了有机分子链内自旋极化随电子-声子耦合强度的变化关系以及界面耦合的自旋相关效应. 关键词： 界面耦合 自旋极化 自旋劈裂     

Magnetic and binding properties of metal-divacancy complexes at MgO (0 0 1) surface: DFT calculations

We have analyzed the magnetic and binding properties of Ni, Cr, Mo, and Pt metals deposited on the defect free and defect containing surfaces of MgO by means of density functional theory calculations and embedded cluster model. Clusters of moderate sizes with no border anions, to avoid artificial polarization effects, were embedded in the simulated Coulomb fields that closely approximate the Madelung fields of the host surfaces. Spin quenching occurs for Cr and Mo complexes at the defect free (terrace) surface, and Cr, Mo, and Pt complexes at the defect containing “pit” divacancy surface. The binding energies of the metals are significantly enhanced on the cationic vacancy end of the divacancy. The adsorption energies of the low spin states of spin quenched complexes are always greater than those of the high spin states. The metal-support interactions stabilize the low spin states of the adsorbed metals with respect to the isolated metals, but the effect is not always enough to quench the spin. The encountered variations in magnetic properties of free metals and of metal complexes are correlated with the energy gaps of the frontier orbitals. Spin contamination affect the adsorbate-substrate distances, Mulliken charges, Mulliken spin densities, natural charge, natural orbital population, and provide rationalization for the reported magnetic and binding properties. The electrostatic potential energy curves provide clearer understanding of the nature of magnetic and binding interactions. The magnetic and binding properties of a single metal atom adsorbed on a particular surface result from a competition between Hund's rule for the adsorbed metal, and the formation of a chemical bond at the interface.     

Parity violation correlations in light muonic atoms

The 2S-1S transition in light muonic atoms is very sensitive to parity violation correlations induced via neutral currents. Observables depending on these transitions such as the photon polarization and the angular correlation between the emitted radiation and the atom polarization are a clear signal of weak neutral currents in atoms. We find the relation between the lepton and quark couplings and these observables emphasizing the effect of the nuclear spin. The results expected in muonic, atoms μ-⁴He and μ-³He are given.