Rashba spin–orbit effect on dwell time in graphene asymmetrical barrier

Monodisperse and spherical α-alumina nanoparticles with a narrow size distribution in range of 11–18 nm have been prepared via the simple chemical precipitation and a new heat-treatment method, namely isolation-medium-assisted calcination. As-prepared α-alumina nanoparticles were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction analyses (XRD), thermogravimetry and differential thermal analyzer (TG–DTA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and field emission transmission electron microscope (TEM). XRD results confirm that the α-alumina in corundum structure is obtained by heating at 1,000 °C for 3 h. And TEM observations reveal the additional isolation medium surrounded α-alumina precursor forms the lamella, which effectively reduces direct contacts between precursor particles and prevents the agglomerating of the aluminum hydroxides during drying process and then the sintering and growth of the alumina nanoparticles are avoided during calcination. The highly uniform and monodisperse α-alumina nanoparticles are obtained.     

Anisotropic quantum transport in monolayer graphene in the presence of Rashba spin–orbit coupling

We have studied spin-dependent electron tunneling through the Rashba barrier in a monolayer graphene lattices. The transfer matrix method, have been employed to obtain the spin dependent transport properties of the chiral particles. It is shown that graphene sheets in the presence of Rashba spin–orbit barrier will act as an electron spin-inverter.     

Thermoelectric transport and spin density of graphene nanoribbons with Rashba spin–orbit interaction

In the present paper, we have theoretically investigated thermoelectric transport properties of armchair and zigzag graphene nanoribbons with Rashba spin–orbit interaction, as well as dephasing scattering processes by applying the nonequilibrium Green function method. Behaviors of electronic and thermal currents, as well as thermoelectric coefficients are studied. It is found that both electronic and thermal currents decrease, and thermoelectric properties been suppressed, with increasing strength of Rashba spin–orbit interaction. We have also studied spin split and spin density induced by Rashba spin–orbit interaction in the graphene nanoribbons.     

Effect of Rashba spin–orbit coupling on the spin polarized transport in diluted magnetic semiconductor barrier structures

We investigate theoretically the effects of Rashba spin–orbit coupling on the spin dependent transport through diluted magnetic semiconductor single and double barrier structures in the presence of a magnetic field. We find that the Rashba spin–orbit coupling gives rise to an enhancement of the negative tunnelling magnetoresistance of the diluted magnetic semiconductor single barrier structure and a pronounced beating pattern in the tunnelling magnetoresistance and spin polarization of the diluted magnetic semiconductor double barrier structure.     

Spin flip in single quantum ring with Rashba spin–orbit interation

We theoretically investigate spin transport in the elliptical ring and the circular ring with Rashba spin–orbit interaction.It is shown that when Rashba spin–orbit interaction is relatively weak, a single circular ring can not realize spin flip, however an elliptical ring may work as a spin-inverter at this time, and the influence of the defect of the geometry is not obvious.Howerver if a giant Rashba spin–orbit interaction strength has been obtained, a circular ring can work as a spin-inverter with a high stability.     

Spin transport properties in a non-uniform quantum wire modulated by both Rashba and Dresselhaus spin–orbit couplings

Spin transport properties in a non-uniform quantum wire (QW) in the presence of both the Rashba and Dresselhaus spin–orbit couplings (SOCs) is investigated by using the non-equilibrium Green's function (NEGF) method combined with the Landauer Büttiker formalism. It is found that such a non-uniform quantum wire exhibits considerable spin polarization in its conductance in the influence of both the Rashba and Dresselhaus SOCs, and that the two SOCs' strengths strongly affect both the magnitude and sign of the electron spin polarization. Interestingly, the Rashba and Dresselhaus SOCs play the same modulating role in the electron spin polarization. The proposed nanostructure can potentially be utilized to devise an all-electrical spintronic device.     

Spin remagnetization excitations in semiconductors with Rashba and Dresselhaus spin–orbit coupling

Spin remagnetization modes in paramagnetic materials with Rashba and Dresselhaus spin–orbit interaction are studied by analytically solving the kinetic equations for the spin-density matrix. These eigenmodes, which are induced by an in-plane electric field, lead to a rotation of the spin magnetic moment. The specific character of the spin remagnetization modes depends on the details of the excitation mechanism. By applying the approach to another system, namely to a model for graphene, pseudospin excitations are identified.     

Spin excitation spectra of spin–orbit coupled bosons in an optical lattice

Spin-wave excitation plays important roles in the investigation of the magnetic phases. In this paper, we study the spin-wave excitation spectra of two-component Bose gases with spin–orbit coupling in a deep square optical lattice using the spin-wave theory. We find that, while the excitation spectrum of the vortex crystal phase is gapless with a linear dispersion in the vicinity of the minimum point, the spectra of the commensurate spiral spin phase and the skyrmion crystal phase are gapped. Significantly, the spin fluctuations strongly destabilize the classical ground state of the skyrmion phase with the appearance of an imaginary part in the eigenfrequencies of spin excitations. Such features of the spin excitation spectra provide further insights into the exotic spin phases.     

Angular dependent study on spin transport in magnetic semiconductor heterostructures with Dresselhaus spin–orbit interaction

We investigate theoretically the effects of Dresselhaus spin–orbit coupling (DSOC) on the spin-dependent current and shot noise through II–VI diluted magnetic semiconductor/nonmagnetic semiconductor (DMS/NMS) barrier structures. The calculation of transmission probability is based on an effective mass quantum-mechanical approach in the presence of an external magnetic field applied along the growth direction of the junction and also applied voltage. We also study the dependence of spin-dependent properties on external magnetic field and relative angle between the magnetizations of two DMS layers in CdTe/CdMnTe heterostructures by including the DSOC effect. The results show that the DSOC has great different influence on transport properties of electrons with spin up and spin down in the considered system and this aspect may be utilized in designing new spintronics devices.     

Spin Hall effect and spin current generation in two-dimensional systems with random Rashba spin–orbit coupling

We consider a new effect induced by spin–orbit coupling in a two-dimensional electron gas confined in a semiconductor quantum well, i.e. the possibility of spin current generation by fluctuating random Rashba spin–orbit interaction, with the corresponding mean value of the interaction being equal to zero. Our main results suggest that – in contrast to the spatially uniform Rashba spin–orbit interaction – the spin Hall effect does not vanish for typical disorder strengths. We also point out some other possibilities of using such a random Rashba coupling for the generation of spin density and spin current in two-dimensional nonmagnetic structures.     

Finite-size effects on the minimal conductivity in graphene with Rashba spin–orbit coupling

We study theoretically the minimal conductivity of monolayer graphene in the presence of Rashba spin–orbit coupling. The Rashba spin–orbit interaction causes the low-energy bands to undergo trigonal-warping deformation and for energies smaller than the Lifshitz energy, the Fermi circle breaks up into parts, forming four separate Dirac cones. We calculate the minimal conductivity for an ideal strip of length L and width W within the Landauer–Büttiker formalism in a continuum and in a tight binding model. We show that the minimal conductivity depends on the relative orientation of the sample and the probing electrodes due to the interference of states related to different Dirac cones. We also explore the effects of finite system size and find that the minimal conductivity can be lowered compared to that of an infinitely wide sample.     

Theory of spin polarization in mesoscopic spin–orbit coupling systems

We establish a general formalism of the bulk spin polarization (BSP) and the current-based spin polarization (CSP) for mesoscopic ferromagnetic and spin–orbit interaction (SOI) semiconducting systems. Based on this formalism, we reveal the basic properties of BSP and CSP and their relationships. The BSP describes the intrinsic spin polarized properties of devices. The CSP depends on both intrinsic parameters of device and the incident current. For the non-spin-polarized incident current with the in-phase spin-phase coherence, CSP equals to BSP. We give analytically the BSP and CSP of several typical nanodevice models, ferromagnetic nanowire, Rashba nanowire and rings. These results provide basic physical behaviors of BSP and CSP and their relationships.     

Spin-dependent transport through a serial double-quantum-dot with Rashba spin–orbit interaction

We study the spin-dependent electron transport through a serial double-quantum-dot (DQD) by using Green’s function equation of motion technique. Special attention is paid to the functions of the Rashba spin–orbit (RSO) effect in one of the DQD and the inter-dot tunneling coupling _tc$t_c$. When the electrons transport from the left or the right lead into the middle lead, a quasi-two channel is established due to the existence of _tc$t_c$. Then, the RSO interaction will induce into the tunnel matrix element a spin-dependent extra phase factor σ_?R$\sigma {?}_R$ as the electrons flowing through different conduction channels, and thus making the current in the middle lead to be spin-polarized. Moreover, by properly adjusting the value of _tc$t_c$, the dot-lead coupling strength, dots’ levels and the external bias voltages, a net spin current without the accompanying of charge current can be generated. The structure proposed here is simple and can be realized in the present experiments.     

Spin texturing in a parabolically confined quantum wire with Rashba and Dresselhaus spin–orbit interactions

In this study, we investigate theoretically the effect of spin–orbit coupling on the energy level spectrum and spin texturing of a quantum wire with a parabolic confining potential subjected to the perpendicular magnetic field. Highly accurate numerical calculations have been carried out using a finite element method. Our results reveal that the interplay between the spin–orbit interaction and the effective magnetic field significantly modifies the band structure, producing additional subband extrema and energy gaps. Competing effects between external field and spin–orbit interactions introduce complex features in spin texturing owing to the couplings in energy subbands. We obtain that spatial modulation of the spin density along the wire width can be considerably modified by the spin–orbit coupling strength, magnetic field and charge carrier concentration.     

Spin–orbit interaction induced current dip in a single quantum dot coupled to a spin

Experiments on semiconductor quantum dot systems have demonstrated the coupling between electron spins in quantum dots and spins localized in the neighboring area of the dots. Here we show that in a magnetic field the electrical current flowing through a single quantum dot tunnel-coupled to a spin displays a dip at the singlet–triplet anticrossing point which appears due to the spin–orbit interaction. We specify the requirements for which the current dip is formed and examine the properties of the dip for various system parameters, such as energy detuning, spin–orbit interaction strength, and coupling to leads. We suggest a parameter range in which the dip could be probed.     

Spin–orbit effects and superconductivity in oxide materials

In a variety of materials superconductivity is associated with the existence of a quantum critical point (QCP). In the case of the hole doped cuprates there is evidence which suggests that the important quantum degrees of freedom near the superconducting critical point are localized charge and spin density fluctuations. We argue that if these degrees of freedom are strongly coupled by spin–orbit interactions, a new type of quantum criticality arises with monopole-like quasi-particles as the important quantum degrees of freedom. In layered material this type of quantum criticality can be modeled using a 2-dimensional non-linear Schrodinger equation with an SU(N) gauge field. We exhibit a pairing wave function for quasi-particles that has topological order and anisotropic properties. The superconducting transition would in some respects resemble a KT transition.     

Possible polaron formation of zigzag graphene nano-ribbon in the presence of Rashba spin–orbit coupling

In this article we study the role of Rashba spin–orbit coupling and electron–phonon interaction on the electronic structure of zigzag graphene nanoribbon with different width. The total Hamiltonian of nanoribbon is written in the tight binding form and the electron–electron interaction is modeled in the Hubbard term. We used a unitary transformation to reach an effective Hamiltonian for nano ribbon in the presence of electron–phonon interaction. Our results show that small Rashba spin orbit coupling annihilates the anti-ferromagnetic phase in the zigzag edges of ribbon and the electron–phonon interaction yields small polaron formation in graphene nano ribbon. Furthermore, Rashba type spin–orbit coupling increases (decreases) the polaron formation energy for up (down) spin state.