Predicted signatures of the intrinsic spin Hall effect in closed systems

We study a two-dimensional electron system in the presence of spin-orbit interaction. It is shown analytically that the spin-orbit interaction acts as a transversal effective electric field, whose orientation depends on the sign of the z-axis spin projection. This effect does not require any driving electrical field and is inherent to the spin-orbit interactions present in semiconductor materials. Therefore, it should manifest in both closed and open systems. An experiment is proposed to observe the intrinsic spin Hall effect in the far infrared absorption of an asymmetric semiconductor nanostructure.     

Current-induced spin accumulation in lateral superlattices with Rashba and Dresselhaus spin–orbit interaction

The current-induced spin accumulation is calculated for a 1D lateral semiconductor superlattice with spin–orbit interaction of the Rashba and Dresselhaus type. Due to its particular symmetry, the Rashba interaction alone only leads to an in-plane component of the magnetization transverse to the applied electric field. When in addition a Dresselhaus contribution is present, this symmetry is lifted, and all components of the magnetization are induced by the electric field. Based on the density-matrix approach, the induced spin polarization is determined as a function of external in-plane electric and magnetic fields.     

Schrödinger operators with symmetries II systems with spin

We extend the results on the spectra of Schrödinger operators with symmetries contained in the preceding paper Schrödinger operators with symmetries to systems with spin with interactions of spin-orbit type. Thus we determine the essential spectrum under the assumption of relative compactness and show the absence of singular continuous spectrum for operators with dilation-analytic interactions.Finally we prove the absence of eigenvalues for a system of electrons with spin-orbit interactions and as a consequence the existence of an infinity of eigenvalues for each symmetry type in an atom with such interactions.     

Electric dipole spin resonance for heavy holes in quantum dots

We propose and analyze a new method for manipulation of a heavy-hole spin in a quantum dot. Because of spin-orbit coupling between states with different orbital momenta and opposite spin orientations, an applied rf electric field induces transitions between spin-up and spin-down states. This scheme can be used for detection of heavy-hole spin resonance signals, for the control of the spin dynamics in two-dimensional systems, and for determining important parameters of heavy holes such as the effective g factor, mass, spin-orbit coupling constants, spin relaxation, and decoherence times.     

Spin-orbit lateral superlattices: Energy bands and spin polarization in 2DEG

The Bloch spinors, energy spectrum, and spin density in energy bands are studied for a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) with Rashba spin-orbit (SO) interaction subject to the one-dimensional (1D) periodic electrostatic potential of a lateral superlattice. The space symmetry of the Bloch spinors with spin parity is studied. It is shown that the Bloch spinors at fixed quasi-momentum describe the standing spin waves with the wavelength equal to the superlattice period. The spin projections in these states have components both parallel and transverse to the 2DEG plane. The anticrossing of the energy dispersion curves due to the interplay between the SO and periodic terms is observed, thus, leading to the spin flip. The relation between the spin parity and the interband optical selection rules is discussed, and the effect of magnetization of the SO superlattice in the presence of an external electric field is predicted. The text was submitted by the authors in English.     

Spin-to-charge conversion of mesoscopic spin currents

Recent theoretical investigations have shown that spin currents can be generated by passing electric currents through spin-orbit coupled mesoscopic systems. Measuring these spin currents has, however, not been achieved to date. We show how mesoscopic spin currents in lateral heterostructures can be measured with a single-channel voltage probe. In the presence of a spin current, the charge current I(qpc) through the quantum point contact connecting the probe is odd in an externally applied Zeeman field B, while it is even in the absence of spin current. Furthermore, the zero-field derivative ?(B)I(qpc) is proportional to the magnitude of the spin current, with a proportionality coefficient that can be determined in an independent measurement. We confirm these findings numerically.     

Theory of spin transfer phenomena in magnetic metals and semiconductors

We propose a general theory of the spin-transfer effects that occur when current flows through inhomogeneous magnetic systems. Our theory does not rest on an appeal to conservation of total spin, can assess whether or not current-induced magnetization precession and switching in a particular geometry will occur coherently, and can estimate the efficacy of spin-transfer when spin-orbit interactions are present. We illustrate our theory by applying it to a toy-model twodimensional-electron-gas ferromagnet with Rashba spin-orbit interactions.     

Out-of-plane spin polarization from in-plane electric and magnetic fields

We show that the joint effect of spin-orbit and magnetic fields leads to a spin polarization perpendicular to the plane of a homogeneous two-dimensional electron system with Rashba spin-orbit coupling and in-plane parallel dc magnetic and electric fields, for angle-dependent impurity scattering or nonparabolic energy spectrum, while only in-plane polarization persists for simplified models. We derive Bloch equations, describing the main features of recent experiments, including the magnetic field dependence of static and dynamic responses.     

Quantum states and linear response in dc and electromagnetic fields for the charge current and spin polarization of electrons at the Bi/Si interface with the giant spin-orbit coupling

An expansion of the nearly free-electron model constructed by Frantzeskakis, Pons, and Grioni [1] describing quantum states at the Bi/Si(111) interface with the giant spin-orbit coupling is developed and applied for the band structure and spin polarization calculation, as well as for the linear response analysis of the charge current and induced spin caused by a dc field and by electromagnetic radiation. It is found that the large spin-orbit coupling in this system may allow resolving the spin-dependent properties even at room temperature and at a realistic collision rate. The geometry of the atomic lattice combined with spin-orbit coupling leads to an anisotropic response for both the current and spin components related to the orientation of the external field. The in-plane dc electric field produces only the in-plane components of spin in the sample, while both the in-plane and out-of-plane spin components can be excited by normally propagating electromagnetic wave with different polarizations.     

Rashba自旋轨道耦合下square-octagon晶格的拓扑相变

本文研究了各向同性square-octagon晶格在内禀自旋轨道耦合、Rashba自旋轨道耦合和交换场作用下的拓扑相变,同时引入陈数和自旋陈数对系统进行拓扑分类.系统在自旋轨道耦合和交换场的影响下会出现许多拓扑非平庸态,包括时间反演对称破缺的量子自旋霍尔态和量子反常霍尔态.特别的是,在时间反演对称破缺的量子自旋霍尔效应中,无能隙螺旋边缘态依然能够完好存在.调节交换场或者填充因子的大小会导致系统发生从时间反演对称破缺的量子自旋霍尔态到自旋过滤的量子反常霍尔态的拓扑相变.边缘态能谱和自旋谱的性质与陈数和自旋陈数的拓扑刻画完全一致.这些研究成果为自旋量子操控提供了一个有趣的途径.     

Spin transverse force on spin current in an electric field

As a relativistic quantum mechanical effect, it is shown that the electron field exerts a transverse force on an electron spin 1/2 only if the electron is moving. The spin force, analogue to the Lorentz for an electron charge in a magnetic field, is perpendicular to the electric field and the spin current whose spin polarization is projected along the electric field. This spin-dependent force can be used to understand the Zitterbewegung of the electron wave packet with spin-orbit coupling and is relevant to the generation of the charge Hall effect driven by the spin current in semiconductors.     

Controlling electronic spin relaxation of cold molecules with electric fields

We present a theoretical study of atom-molecule collisions in superimposed electric and magnetic fields and show that dynamics of electronic spin relaxation in molecules at temperatures below 0.5 K can be manipulated by varying the strength and the relative orientation of the applied fields. The mechanism of electric field control of Zeeman transitions is based on an intricate interplay between intramolecular spin-rotation couplings and molecule-field interactions. We suggest that electric fields may affect chemical reactions through inducing nonadiabatic spin transitions and facilitate evaporative cooling of molecules in a magnetic trap.     

Spin-orbit coupling in interacting quasi-one-dimensional electron systems

We present a new model for the study of spin-orbit coupling in interacting quasi-one-dimensional systems and solve it exactly to find the spectral properties of such systems. We show that the combination of spin-orbit coupling and electron-electron interactions results in the replacement of separate spin and charge excitations with two new kinds of bosonic mixed-spin-charge excitation, and a characteristic modification of the spectral function and single-particle density of states. Our results show how manipulation of the spin-orbit coupling, with external electric fields, can be used for the experimental determination of microscopic interaction parameters in quantum wires.     

Charge current driven by spin dynamics in disordered Rashba spin-orbit system

Pumping of charge current by spin dynamics in the presence of the Rashba spin-orbit interaction is theoretically studied. Considering a disordered electron, the exchange coupling and spin-orbit interactions are treated perturbatively. It is found that the dominant current induced by spin dynamics is interpreted as a consequence of the conversion from spin current via the inverse spin Hall effect. We also find that the current has an additional component from a fictitious conservative field. The results are applied to the case of a moving domain wall.     

Spin edge states in two-dimensional electron systems in the presence of Zeeman effect

We study the spin edge states, induced by the combined effect of Bychkov-Rashba spinorbit and Zeeman interactions or of Dresselhaus spin-orbit and Zeeman interactions in a twodimensional electron system, exposed to a perpendicular quantizing magnetic field and restricted by a hard-wall confining potential. We derive an exact analytical formula for the dispersion relations of spin edge states and analyze their energy spectrum versus the momentum and the magnetic field. We calculate the average spin components and the average transverse position of electron. It is shown that by removing the spin degeneracy, spin-orbit interaction splits the spin edge states not only in the energy but also induces their spatial separation. Depending on the type of spin-orbit coupling and the principal quantum number, the Zeeman term in the combination with spin-orbit interaction increases or decreases essentially the splitting of bulk Landau levels while it has a weak influence on the spin edge states.     

Topological spin Hall states, charged skyrmions, and superconductivity in two dimensions

We study the properties of two dimensional topological spin Hall insulators which arise through spontaneous breakdown of spin symmetry in systems that are spin rotation invariant. Such a phase breaks spin rotation but not time reversal symmetry and has a vector order parameter. Skyrmion configurations in this vector order parameter are shown to have an electric charge that is twice the electron charge. When the spin Hall order is destroyed by condensation of Skyrmions superconductivity results. This may happen either through doping or at fixed filling by tuning interactions to close the Skyrmion gap. In the latter case the superconductor-spin Hall insulator quantum phase transition can be second order even though the two phases break distinct symmetries.     

准一维半导体量子点中电偶极自旋共振的物理机理

半导体量子点中的电子自旋具有较长相干时间以及可扩展性的特点, 在近十几年来引起了人们的广泛兴趣. 人们常常利用电子自旋共振技术来对单个自旋进行操纵. 这样不但需要一个静磁场来使电子产生赛曼劈裂, 同时还需要一个与之垂直的局域振荡磁场. 但是, 在实验上产生足够强且具有固定频率的局域磁场是比较困难的. 后来人们发现, 局域的振荡电场也可以操纵单个电子自旋, 也就是所谓的电偶极自旋共振. 众所周知, 自旋只有自旋磁矩, 不会与电场有任何直接的相互作用. 所以, 电偶极自旋共振的发生必须依赖于某些媒质. 这些媒质包括：量子点材料中的自旋轨道耦合作用, 量子点中的局域磁场梯度, 以及量子点中电子自旋与核自旋的超精细相互作用. 这些媒质能诱导出自旋与电场之间间接的相互作用, 从而外电场操纵单个电子自旋得以实现. 本文总结归纳了目前半导体量子点系统中发生电偶极自旋共振的三种主要物理机理.     

Topological order and semions in a strongly correlated quantum spin Hall insulator

We provide a self-consistent mean-field framework to study the effect of strong interactions in a quantum spin Hall insulator on the honeycomb lattice. We identify an exotic phase for large spin-orbit coupling and intermediate Hubbard interaction. This phase is gapped and does not break any symmetry. Instead, we find a fourfold topological degeneracy of the ground state on the torus and fractionalized excitations with semionic mutual braiding statistics. Moreover, we argue that it has gapless edge modes protected by time-reversal symmetry but a trivial Z(2) topological invariant. Finally, we discuss the experimental signatures of this exotic phase. Our work highlights the important theme that interesting phases arise in the regime of strong spin-orbit coupling and interactions.     

Spin precession and electron spin polarization wave in [001]-grown quantum wells

We theoretically study the spatial behaviors of spin precessions modulated by an effective magnetic field in a two-dimensional electron system with spin-orbit interaction. Through analysis of interaction between the spin and the effective magnetic field, we find some laws of spin precession in the system, by which we explain some previous phenomena of spin precession, and predict a controllable electron spin polarization wave in [001]-grown quantum wells. The shape of the wave, like water wave, mostly are ellipse-like or circle-like, and the wavelength is anisotropic in the quantum wells with two unequal coupling strengths of the Rashba and Dresselhaus interactions, and is isotropic in the quantum wells with only one spin orbit interaction.