Current and strain-induced spin polarization in InGaN/GaN superlattices

The lateral current-induced spin polarization in InGaN/GaN superlattices (SLs) without an applied magnetic field is reported. The fact that the sign of the nonequilibrium spin changes as the current reverses and is opposite for the two edges provides a clear signature for the spin Hall effect. In addition, it is discovered that the spin Hall effect can be strongly manipulated by the internal strains. A theoretical work has also been developed to understand the observed strain-induced spin polarization. Our result paves an alternative way for the generation of spin polarized current.     

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.     

Photoinduced anisotropic edge states and signatures of nonequilibrium spin polarization in silicene nanoribbons

Most topological phase transitions are accompanied by the emergence of surface/edge states with spin dependence. Usually, the quantized Hall conductivity cannot characterize the anisotropic transports and spin dependence of topological states. Here, we study the intricate topological phase transition and the anisotropic behavior of edge states in silicene nanoribbon submitted to an electric field or/and a light irradiation. It is interesting to find that a circularly polarized light can induce a type-II quantum anomaly Hall phase, which is manifested as the high Chern number and the strong anisotropic edge states. Besides the measurement of the quantized Hall conductivity, we further propose to probe these topological phase transitions and the anisotropy of edge states by measuring the current-induced nonequilibrium spin polarization. It is found that the spin polarization exhibits more signatures about the behavior of surface/edge states, beyond the quantized Hall conductivity, especially for spin-dependent transports with different velocities.     

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.     

Hall effect of spin-chirality origin in a triangular-lattice helimagnet Fe{1.3}Sb

We report on a topological Hall effect possibly induced by scalar spin chirality in a quasi-two-dimensional helimagnet Fe{1+δ}Sb. In the low-temperature region where the spins on interstitial-Fe (concentration δ～0.3) intervening the 120° spin-ordered triangular planes tend to freeze, a nontrivial component of Hall resistivity with opposite sign of the conventional anomalous Hall term is observed under magnetic field applied perpendicular to the triangular-lattice plane. The observed unconventional Hall effect is ascribed to the scalar spin chirality arising from the heptamer spin clusters around the interstitial-Fe sites, which can be induced by the spin modulation by the Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction.     

Room-temperature reversible spin Hall effect

Reversible spin Hall effect comprising the direct and inverse spin Hall effects was electrically detected at room temperature. A platinum wire with a strong spin-orbit interaction is used not only as a spin current absorber but also as a spin-current source in the specially designed lateral structure. The obtained spin Hall conductivities are 2.4 x 10(4) (Omega m)(-1) at room temperature, 10(4) times larger than the previously reported values of semiconductor systems. Spin Hall conductivities obtained from both the direct and inverse spin Hall effects are experimentally confirmed to be the same, demonstrating the Onsager reciprocal relations between spin and charge currents.     

Current-induced spin polarization in strained semiconductors

The polarization of conduction electron spins due to an electrical current is observed in strained nonmagnetic semiconductors using static and time-resolved Faraday rotation. The density, lifetime, and orientation rate of the electrically polarized spins are characterized by a combination of optical and electrical methods. In addition, the dynamics of the current-induced spins are investigated by utilizing electrical pulses generated from a photoconductive switch. These results demonstrate the possibility of a spin source for semiconductor spintronic devices without the use of magnetic materials.     

Current-induced spin polarization in a spin-polarized two-dimensional electron gas with spin-orbit coupling

The current-induced spin polarization (CISP) is investigated in a combined Rashba-Dresselhaus spin-orbit-coupled two-dimensional electron gas, subjected to a homogeneous out-of-plane magnetization. It is found that, in addition to the usual collision-related in-plane parts of CISP, there are two impurity-density-free contributions, arising from intrinsic and disorder-mediated mechanisms. The intrinsic parts of spin polarization are related to the Berry curvature, analogous with the anomalous and spin Hall effects. For short-range collision, the disorder-mediated spin polarizations completely cancel the intrinsic ones and the total in-plane components of CISP equal those for systems without magnetization. However, for remote disorders, this cancellation does not occur and the total in-plane components of CISP strongly depend on the spin-orbit interaction coefficients and magnetization for both pure Rashba and combined Rashba-Dresselhaus models.     

非共振圆偏振光作用下单层二硫化钼电子结构及其自旋/谷输运性质

基于紧束缚近似下的低能有效哈密顿模型和久保线性响应理论,研究了外部非共振圆偏振光作用下单层二硫化钼(MoS_2)电子结构及其自旋/谷输运性质.研究结果表明:单层MoS_2布里渊区K谷和K′谷附近自旋依赖子带间的能隙随着非共振右旋圆偏振光引起的有效耦合能分别线性增大和先减小后增大,随着非共振左旋圆偏振光引起的有效耦合能分别先减小后增大和线性增大,实现了系统能带结构有趣的半导体-半金属-半导体转变.此外,单层MoS_2在外部非共振圆偏振光作用下,呈现有趣的量子化横向霍尔电导和自旋/谷霍尔电导,自旋极化率在非共振右/左旋圆偏振光有效耦合能±0.79 eV附近达到最大并发生由正到负或由负到正的急剧转变,谷极化率随着非共振圆偏振光有效耦合能先增大后减小并在其绝对值0.79-0.87 eV范围内达到100%.因而,可以利用外部非共振圆偏振光将单层MoS_2调制成自旋/谷以及光电特性优异的新带隙材料.     

Spectral dependence of spin photocurrent and current-induced spin polarization in an InGaAs/InAlAs two-dimensional electron gas

The converse effects of spin photocurrent and current induced spin polarization are experimentally demonstrated in a two-dimensional electron gas system with Rashba spin splitting. Their consistency with the strength of the Rashba coupling as measured for the same system from beating of the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations reveals a unified picture for the spin photocurrent, current-induced spin-polarization, and spin-orbit coupling. In addition, the observed spectral inversion of the spin photocurrent indicates a system with dominating structure inversion asymmetry.     

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.     

From quantum Hall ferromagnetism to huge longitudinal resistance at the 2/3 fractional quantum Hall state

We observe the transition from a spin-unpolarized to a polarized nu=2/3 fractional quantum Hall state at low currents (<5 nA), recently described in terms of quantum Hall ferromagnetism, versus density and parallel magnetic field. At larger currents the time and current dependent huge longitudinal resistance (HLR) is always initiated at the transition. Transport in the HLR regime is linear and the amount of current-induced nuclear polarization in the HLR is comparable to the thermal nuclear polarization at approximately 20 mK and 10 T. A current-induced disorder in the nuclear polarization is speculated to cause the enhanced resistance in the HLR regime.     

Spin polarization of 37K produced in a single-proton pickup reaction at intermediate energies

Spin polarization of 37K nuclei produced via single proton pickup from a 9Be target by a beam of 150 MeV/nucleon 36Ar has been observed. Positive spin polarization with magnitude (8.5+/-0.6)% was deduced near the peak of the 37K momentum distribution. The variation of the spin polarization as a function of outgoing 37K momentum is explained by a classical conservation model, as previously applied to describe the induced spin polarization observed for fragments produced in intermediate-energy heavy-ion reactions, with the condition that the picked-up proton has an average momentum equal to the Fermi momentum and is aligned along the incident beam direction.     

Intrinsic spin Hall edges

The prediction of intrinsic spin Hall currents by Murakami et al. and Sinova et al. raised many questions about methods of detection and the effect of disorder. We focus on a contact between a Rashba-type spin-orbit coupled region with a normal two-dimensional electron gas and show that the spin Hall currents, though vanishing in the bulk of the sample, can be recovered from the edges. We also show that the current-induced spin accumulation in the spin-orbit coupled system diffuses into the normal region and contributes to the spin current in the leads.     

Spin Hall effect of light in metallic reflection

We report the first measurement of the spin Hall effect of light (SHEL) on an air-metal interface. The SHEL is a polarization-dependent out-of-plane shift on the reflected beam. For the case of metallic reflection with a linearly polarized incident light, both the spatial and angular variants of the shift are observed and are maximum for -45°/45° polarization, but zero for pure s and p polarization. For an incoming beam with circular polarization states however, only the spatial out-of-plane shift is present.     

Probing the magnetization switching with in-plane magnetic anisotropy through field-modified magnetoresistance measurement

Effective probing current-induced magnetization switching is highly required in the study of emerging spin-orbit torque(SOT)effect.However,the measurement of in-plane magnetization switching typically relies on the giant/tunneling magnetoresistance measurement in a spin valve structure calling for complicated fabrication process,or the non-electric approach of Kerr imaging technique.Here,we present a reliable and convenient method to electrically probe the SOT-induced in-plane magnetization switching in a simple Hall bar device through analyzing the MR signal modified by a magnetic field.In this case,the symmetry of MR is broken,resulting in a resistance difference for opposite magnetization orientations.Moreover,the feasibility of our method is widely evidenced in heavy metal/ferromagnet(Pt/Ni₂₀Fe₈₀ and W/Co₂₀Fe₆₀B₂₀)and the topological insulator/ferromagnet(Bi₂Se₃/Ni₂₀Fe₈₀).Our work simplifies the characterization process of the in-plane magnetization switching,which can promote the development of SOT-based devices.     

Spin Hall effect in nonmagnetic conductors under the classical Hall conditions

The spin Hall effect—the excitation of a spin flux by an electric current normal to it—is considered in a paramagnetic sample in disregard of the spin-orbit coupling in the classical Hall effect case, when the Pauli spin polarization is induced by the magnetic field H ₀ normal to the electric current.     

Extrinsic spin Hall effect induced by iridium impurities in copper

We study the extrinsic spin Hall effect induced by Ir impurities in Cu by injecting a pure spin current into a CuIr wire from a lateral spin valve structure. While no spin Hall effect is observed without Ir impurity, the spin Hall resistivity of CuIr increases linearly with the impurity concentration. The spin Hall angle of CuIr, (2.1±0.6)% throughout the concentration range between 1% and 12%, is practically independent of temperature. These results represent a clear example of predominant skew scattering extrinsic contribution to the spin Hall effect in a nonmagnetic alloy.     

光自旋霍尔效应中横移的影响因素研究

研究了光束在空气与电介质分界面传输产生的自旋霍尔效应,揭示了光束重心横移分别与偏振态、折射率差以及入射角三者之间的定性关系.研究发现各光场横移都随偏振参量增大而增大,左、右旋椭圆偏振光的横移等值反向,圆偏振态下的横移比椭圆偏振态下的横移大.改变折射率差的大小,反射光横移随折射率差的增大而减小,但当折射率差接近零时,反射...