Density-functional characterization of the multiferroicity in spin spiral chain cuprates

The ferroelectricity of the spiral magnets LiCu2O2 and LiCuVO4 was examined by calculating the electric polarizations of their spin spiral states on the basis of density-functional theory with spin-orbit coupling. Our work unambiguously reveals that spin-orbit coupling is responsible for the ferroelectricity with the primary contribution from the spin-orbit coupling on the Cu sites, but the asymmetric density distribution responsible for the electric polarization occurs mainly around the O atoms. The electric polarization is calculated to be much greater for the ab-plane than for the bc-plane spin spiral. The observed spin-spiral plane is found to be consistent with the observed direction of the electric polarization for LiCuVO4, but inconsistent for LiCu2O2.     

Dynamical magnetoelectric coupling in helical magnets

We develop a theory of collective mode dynamics in the helical magnets coupled to electric polarization via spin-orbit interaction. The low-lying modes associated with the ferroelectricity are not the transverse optical phonons, but are the spin waves hybridized with the electric polarization. This hybridization leads to the Drude-like dielectric function epsilon(omega) in the limit of zero magnetic anisotropy. There are two additional low-lying modes: phason of the spiral and rotation of helical plane along the polarization axis. Role of these low-lying modes in the neutron scattering and antiferromagnetic resonance is revealed, and a novel experiment to detect the dynamical magnetoelectric coupling is discussed.     

Efficient spin filtering in a disordered semiconductor superlattice in the presence of Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling

The influence of the Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling on spin polarization by tunneling through a disordered semiconductor superlattice was investigated. The Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling causes the spin polarization of the electron due to transmission possibilities difference between spin up and spin down electrons. The electron tunneling through a zinc-blende semiconductor superlattice with InAs and GaAs layers and two variable distance In_xGa_(1−x)As impurity layers was studied. One hundred percent spin polarization was obtained by optimizing the distance between two impurity layers and impurity percent in disordered layers in the presence of Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling. In addition, the electron transmission probability through the mentioned superlattice is too much near to one and an efficient spin filtering was recommended.     

Effects of the Rashba spin-orbit coupling on Hofstadter's butterfly

We study the effect of Rashba spin-orbit coupling on the Hofstadter spectrum of a two-dimensional tight-binding electron system in a perpendicular magnetic field. We obtain the generalized coupled Harper spin-dependent equations which include the Rashba spin-orbit interaction and solve for the energy spectrum and spin polarization. We investigate the effect of spin-orbit coupling on the fractal energy spectrum and the spin polarization for some characteristic states as a function of the magnetic flux α and the spin-orbit coupling parameter. We characterize the complexity of the fractal geometry of the spin-dependent Hofstadter butterfly with the correlation dimension and show that it grows quadratically with the amplitude of the spin-orbit coupling. We study some ground state properties and the spin polarization shows a fractal-like behavior as a function of α, which is demonstrated with the exponent close to unity of the decaying power spectrum of the spin polarization. Some degree of spin localization or distribution around +1 or -1, for small spin-orbit coupling, is found with the determination of the entropy function as a function of the spin-orbit coupling. The excited states show a more extended (uniform) distribution of spin states.     

Rashba spin-orbit effect on dwell time of electrons tunneling through semiconductor barrier

A study on characteristics of electrons tunneling through semiconductor barrier is evaluated, in which we take into account the effects of Rashba spin-orbit interaction. Our numerical results show that Rashba spin-orbit effect originating from the inversion asymmetry can give rise to the spin polarization. The spin polarization does not increase linearly but shows obvious resonant features as the strength of Rashba spin-orbit coupling increases, and the amplitudes of spin polarization can reach the highest around the first resonant energy level. Furthermore, it is found that electrons with different spin orientations will spend quite different time through the same heterostructures. The difference of the dwell time between spin-up and spin-down electrons arise from the Rashba spin-orbit coupling. And it is also found that the dwell time will reach its maximum at the first resonant energy level. It can be concluded that, in the time domain, the tunneling processes of the spin-up and spin-down electrons can be separated by modulating the strength of Rashba spin-orbit coupling. Study results indicate that Rashba spin-orbit effect can cause a nature spin filter mechanism in the time domain.     

First-principles theory of magnetically induced ferroelectricity in TbMnO<Subscript>3</Subscript>

We study the polarization induced via spin-orbit interaction by a magnetic cycloidal order in orthorhombic TbMnO₃ using first-principle methods. The case of magnetic spiral lying in the b-c plane is analyzed, in which the pure electronic contribution to the polarization is shown to be small. We focus our attention on the lattice-mediated contribution, and study it’s dependence on the Coulomb interaction parameter U in the LDA+U method and on the wave-vector of the spin spiral. The role of the spin-orbit interaction on different sites is also analyzed.     

Effects of geometry and linearly polarized cavity photons on charge and spin currents in a quantum ring with spin-orbit interactions

We calculate the persistent charge and spin polarization current inside a finite-width quantum ring of realistic geometry as a function of the strength of the Rashba or Dresselhaus spin-orbit interaction. The time evolution in the transient regime of the two-dimensional (2D) quantum ring connected to electrically biased semi-infinite leads is governed by a time-convolutionless non-Markovian generalized master equation. The electrons are correlated via Coulomb interaction. In addition, the ring is embedded in a photon cavity with a single mode of linearly polarized photon field, which is polarized either perpendicular or parallel to the charge transport direction. To analyze carefully the physical effects, we compare to the analytical results of the toy model of a one-dimensional (1D) ring of non-interacting electrons with spin-orbit coupling. We find a pronounced charge current dip associated with many-electron level crossings at the Aharonov-Casher phase ΔΦ = π, which can be disguised by linearly polarized light. Qualitative agreement is found for the spin polarization currents of the 1D and 2D ring. Quantitatively, however, the spin polarization currents are weaker in the more realistic 2D ring, especially for weak spin-orbit interaction, but can be considerably enhanced with the aid of a linearly polarized electromagnetic field. Specific spin polarization current symmetries relating the Dresselhaus spin-orbit interaction case to the Rashba one are found to hold for the 2D ring, which is embedded in the photon cavity.     

Electron nuclear double resonance of the cubic Dy3+ center in the KZnF3 single crystal

ENDOR measurements on the¹⁹F^? nuclei in the first four shells of KZnF₃ containing Dy³⁺ ions in the cubic site are reported. The values and signs of the hyperfine and transferred hyperfine interaction parameters are determined. The local deformation of the crystal lattice in the vicinity of the impurity ion is estimated. The theoretical analysis of the THFI parameters for the first coordination shell of the F^? ions has been carried out. For the Dy³⁺ ion the influence of spin polarization of the closed 5s and 5p shells is considered for the first time. Spin polarization is shown to play a significant role in the mechanisms of rare-earth ion-ligand coupling.     

Mn3TeO6 – a new multiferroic material with two magnetic substructures

From magnetic susceptibility, dielectric permittivity, electric polarization and specific heat measurements we discover spin‐induced ferroelectricity and magnetoelectric coupling in Mn₃TeO₆ and observe two successive magnetic transitions at low temperatures. A non‐ferroelectric intermediate magnetic state occurs below 23 K and a multiferroic ground state emerges below 21 K. Moreover, Mn₃TeO₆ is a candidate for a multiferroic material where two types of incommensurate spin structures, cycloidal and helical, coexist. Theoretically, both spin substructures may contribute to the macro electric polarization via different mechanisms. This could open new ways of manipulating the ferroelectric polarization in a multiferroic material. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Spin-polarized transport in one-dimensional waveguide structures with spatially-periodic electronic and magnetic fields

We investigate theoretically the spin-polarized transport in one-dimensional waveguide structure with spatially-periodic electronic and magnetic fields. The interplay of the spin-orbit interaction and in-plane magnetic field significantly modifies the spin-dependent transmission and the spin polarization. The in-plane magnetic fields increase the strength of the Rashba spin-orbit coupling effect for the electric fields along y axis and decrease this effect for reversing the electric fields, even counteract the Rashba spin-orbit coupling effect. It is very interesting to find that we may deduce the strength of the Rashba effect through this phenomenon.     

Ferroelectricity driven by the noncentrosymmetric magnetic ordering in multiferroic TbMn(2)O(5): a first-principles study

The ground state structural, electronic, and magnetic properties of multiferroic TbMn(2)O(5) are investigated via first-principles calculations. We show that the ferroelectricity in TbMn(2)O(5) is driven by the noncentrosymmetric magnetic ordering, without invoking the spin-orbit coupling and noncollinear spins. The intrinsic electric polarization in this compound is calculated to be 1187 nC cm(-2), an order of magnitude larger than previously thought.     

Particular nanowire superlattice as a spin filter

A nanowire superlattice of InAs and GaAs layers with In_0.47Ga_0.53As as the impure layers is proposed. The oft-neglected k³ Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling causes the spin polarization of the electron but often can produce a limited spin polarization. In this nanowire superlattice, Dresselhaus term produce complete spin filtering by optimizing the distance between the In_0.47Ga_0.53As layers and the Indium (In) in the impure layers. The proposed structure is an optimized nanowire superlattice that can efficiently filter any component of electron spins according to its energy. In fact, this nanowire superlattice is an energy dependent spin filter structure.     

Emergent phenomena in perovskite-type manganites

Perovskite-type manganites exhibit various interesting phenomena arising from complex interplay among spin, charge, orbital, and lattice degrees of freedom. One such example is the keen competition between phases with different spin/charge/orbital orders. Keen competition between antiferromagnetic metal and orbital-ordered insulator is found in the slightly electron-doped regime near Mn⁴⁺ state which is stabilized by the high oxygen-pressure condition. Another one is the emergence of ferroelectricity either induced by the magnetic ordering or independently of the magnetic ordering. As the respective examples, perovskite-type YMnO₃ and Sr_1−xBa_xMnO₃ are discussed. In the YMnO₃, the ferroelectric lattice distortion associated with the E-type spin order is observed for the first time. Displacement-type ferroelectricity with off-center magnetic ions is discovered for Sr_0.5Ba_0.5MnO₃, which shows both large polarization value and strong coupling between ferroelectricity and magnetism.     

Effects of inversion asymmetry on electron-nuclear spin coupling in semiconductor heterostructures: possible role of spin-orbit interactions

We show that electron-nuclear spin coupling in semiconductor heterostructures is strongly modified by their potential inversion asymmetry. This is demonstrated in a GaAs quantum well, where we observe that the current-induced nuclear spin polarization at Landau-level filling factor nu=2/3 is completely suppressed when the quantum well is made largely asymmetric with gate voltages. Furthermore, we find that the nuclear spin relaxation rate is also modified by the potential asymmetry. These findings strongly suggest that even a very weak Rashba spin-orbit interaction can play a dominant role in determining the electron-nuclear spin coupling.     

Conductance oscillations of a spin-orbit stripe with polarized contacts

We investigate the linear conductance of a stripe of spin-orbit interaction in a 2D electron gas; that is, a 2D region of length l\ell along the transport direction and infinite in the transverse one in which a spin-orbit interaction of Rashba type is present. Polarization in the contacts is described by means of Zeeman fields. Our model predicts two types of conductance oscillations: Ramsauer oscillations in the minority spin transmission, when both spins can propagate, and Fano oscillations when only one spin propagates. The latter are due to the spin-orbit coupling with quasibound states of the non propagating spin. In the case of polarized contacts in antiparallel configuration Fano-like oscillations of the conductance are still made possible by the spin orbit coupling, even though no spin component is bound by the contacts. To describe these behaviors we propose a simplified model based on an ansatz wave function. In general, we find that the contribution for vanishing transverse momentum dominates and defines the conductance oscillations. Regarding the oscillations with Rashba coupling intensity, our model confirms the spin transistor behavior, but only for high degrees of polarization. Including a position dependent effective mass yields additional oscillations due to the mass jumps at the interfaces.     

Spin-canting-induced improper ferroelectricity and spontaneous magnetization reversal in SmFeO3

SmFeO3, a family of centrosymmetric rare-earth orthoferrites, is known to be nonferroelectric. However, we have found that SmFeO3 is surprisingly ferroelectric at room temperature with a small polarization along the b axis of Pbnm. First-principles calculations indicate that the canted antiferromagnetic ordering with two nonequivalent spin pairs is responsible for this extraordinary polarization and that the reverse Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction dominates over the exchange-striction mechanism in the manifestation of the improper ferroelectricity. SmFeO3 further exhibits an interesting phenomenon of spontaneous magnetization reversal at cryogenic temperatures. This reversal is attributed to the activation of the Sm-spin moment which is antiparallel to the Fe-spin moment below ～5 K.     

Optical out-of-plane spin polarization and charge conductivities in spin-orbit-coupled systems in the presence of an in-plane magnetic field

Out-of-plane spin and charge responses to the terahertz field for a clean two-dimensional electron gas with a Rashba spin-orbit interaction in the presence of an in-plane magnetic field are studied. We show that the characteristic optical spectral behavior is remarkably different from that of the system in the absence of in-plane magnetic fields. It is found that the optical spin polarization normal to the plane is nonzero even for this clean system, in sharp contrast to the static case. Due to the combined effect of spin-orbit coupling and in-plane magnetic field, both diagonal and off-diagonal components of optical charge conductivity tensor are nonvanishing. It is indicated that one can control the spin polarization and the optical current by adjusting the optical frequency. In addition, the out-of-plane spin polarization and conductivities strongly rely on the direction of the external magnetic field. Nevertheless, they meet different angle-dependent relations. This dynamical out-of-plane spin polarization could be measured by the time-resolved Kerr rotation technique.     

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.     

The effects of Dresselhaus and Rashba spin-orbit interactions on the electron tunneling in a non-magnetic heterostructure

We theoretically investigate the electron transport properties in a non-magnetic heterostructure with both Dresselhaus and Rashba spin-orbit interactions. The detailed-numerical results show that (1) the large spin polarization can be achieved due to Dresselhaus and Rashba spin-orbit couplings induced splitting of the resonant level, although the magnetic field is zero in such a structure, (2) the Rashba spin-orbit coupling plays a greater role on the spin polarization than the Dresselhaus spin-orbit interaction does, and (3) the transmission probability and the spin polarization both periodically change with the increase of the well width.     

Spin hall edge spin polarization in a ballistic 2D electron system

Universal properties of the spin Hall effect in ballistic 2D electron systems are addressed. The net spin polarization across the edge of the conductor is second order, approximately lambda2, in spin-orbit coupling constant independent of the form of the boundary potential, with the contributions of normal and evanescent modes each being approximately radical lambda but of opposite signs. This general result is confirmed by the analytical solution for a hard-wall boundary, which also yields the detailed distribution of the local spin polarization. The latter shows fast (Friedel) oscillations with the spin-orbit coupling entering via the period of slow beatings only. Long-wavelength contributions of evanescent and normal modes exactly cancel each other in the spectral distribution of the local spin density.