Transverse spin dynamics of a spin-polarized Fermi liquid

A microscopic derivation of the equations of transverse spin dynamics of a spin-polarized Fermi liquid at zero temperature is given in the leading-order approximation in the frequencies and wave vectors characterizing the spin motion. The equations are applicable for arbitrary degree of polarization and arbitrary deviations of the spin direction from the equilibrium orientation. The solutions describing a coherently precessing two-domain structure and spin waves are examined. In contrast to the assertion discussed in the literature that spin waves are damped at zero temperature, spin waves are found to be undamped in the long-wavelength limit. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 65, No. 9, 717–721 (10 May 1997)     

Laser-assisted spin-polarized transport in graphene tunnel junctions

The Keldysh nonequilibrium Green's function method is utilized to theoretically study spin-polarized transport through a graphene spin valve irradiated by a monochromatic laser field. It is found that the bias dependence of the differential conductance exhibits successive peaks corresponding to the resonant tunneling through the photon-assisted sidebands. The multi-photon processes originate from the combined effects of the radiation field and the graphene tunneling properties, and are shown to be substantially suppressed in a graphene spin valve which results in a decrease of the differential conductance for a high bias voltage. We also discuss the appearance of a dynamical gap around zero bias due to the radiation field. The gap width can be tuned by changing the radiation electric field strength and the frequency. This leads to a shift of the resonant peaks in the differential conductance. We also demonstrate numerically the dependences of the radiation and spin valve effects on the parameters of the external fields and those of the electrodes. We find that the combined effects of the radiation field, the graphene and the spin valve properties bring about an oscillatory behavior in the tunnel magnetoresistance, and this oscillatory amplitude can be changed by scanning the radiation field strength and/or the frequency.     

钙钛矿氧化物异质结自旋极化输运机制研究

文章介绍了一个基于弱Hund耦合规则以及载流子漂移扩散机制所提出的关于钙钛矿氧化物p-n异质结构的自旋极化输运机制的物理模型．该理论不仅可以很好地解释由具有负磁阻效应的La0.9Sr0．1MnO3（LSMO）与非磁性的SrNb0.01Ti0.99O3（SNTO）所组成的异质结中所存在的正磁电阻效应，同时揭示了该体系中LSMO在界面区域的载流子与远离界面区域的载流子具有不同的自旋极化方向．这一结果将为理解钙钛矿氧化物异质结及多层膜的自旋极化输运机制开辟了一条新的途径．     

Roles of spin-polarized current and spin accumulation in the current-induced magnetization switching

To clarify the contributions of spin-polarized current and spin accumulation to the current-induced magnetization switching, the effects of the top electrode size of the magnetic nanopillar are investigated both theoretically and experimentally. Theoretical calculation demonstrates that the spin-polarized current and the spin accumulation can be adjusted in opposite directions by modifying the size of the top electrode. Increase in the size of the top electrode suppresses the spin accumulation but enhances the spin-polarized current inside the nanopillar. On the other hand, it is shown experimentally that the nanopillar with a wide top electrode exhibits small critical switching current compared to the nanopillar with a narrow top electrode. The results suggest that the spin-polarized current contributes to the current-induced magnetization switching dominantly over the spin accumulation.     

钙钛矿氧化物异质结自旋极化输运机制研究

文章介绍了一个基于弱Hund耦合规则以及载流子漂移扩散机制所提出的关于钙钛矿氧化物p-n异质结构的自旋极化输运机制的物理模型.该理论不仅可以很好地解释由具有负磁阻效应的La0.9Sr0.1MnO3（LSMO）与非磁性的SrNb0.01Ti0.99O3（SNTO）所组成的异质结中所存在的正磁电阻效应,同时揭示了该体系中LSMO在界面区域的载流子与远离界面区域的载流子具有不同的自旋极化方向.这一结果将为理解钙钛矿氧化物异质结及多层膜的自旋极化输运机制开辟了一条新的途径.     

Resolving complex atomic-scale spin structures by spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy

The spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscope (SP-STM) operated in the constant current mode is proposed as a powerful tool to investigate complex atomic-scale magnetic structures of otherwise chemically equivalent atoms. The potential of this approach is demonstrated by successfully resolving the magnetic structure of Cr/Ag(111), which is predicted on the basis of ab initio vector spin-density calculations to be a coplanar noncollinear periodic 120 degrees Néel structure. Different operating modes of the SP-STM are discussed on the basis of the model of Tersoff and Hamann.     

Determining the spin polarization of surfaces by spin-polarized scanning tunneling spectroscopy

During the last few years, spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy has been developed as a reliable tool to image surface magnetic domain structures of bulk materials as well as thin films and nanostructured systems. In principle, this technique also allows for the determination of the energy-resolved spin polarization of the sample P_S(E) with nanometer resolution, information which might play a crucial role in understanding systems like, for example, non-magnetic adatoms on magnetic surfaces. A main problem in quantifying P_S(E), however, arises from the fact that, in contrast to planar junctions, the tip–sample distance generally varies with the magnitude and direction of the surface magnetization, since the distance is controlled indirectly by the tunneling current that is itself spin-polarized. We employ a simple model of the tunneling process to investigate this issue and show that a normalization of the dI/dU spectra with the total conductance I/U is insufficient to correct for their distance dependence. Received: 2 September 2002 / Accepted: 2 September 2002 / Published online: 5 March 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +49-40/42838-5311, E-mail: kubetzka@physnet.uni-hamburg.de     

Evidence for spontaneous spin-polarized transport in magnetic nanowires

The exploitation of the spin in charge-based systems is opening revolutionary opportunities for device architecture. Surprisingly, room temperature electrical transport through magnetic nanowires is still an unresolved issue. Here, we show that ferromagnetic (Co) suspended atom chains spontaneously display an electron transport of half a conductance quantum, as expected for a fully polarized conduction channel. Similar behavior has been observed for Pd (a quasimagnetic 4d metal) and Pt (a nonmagnetic 5d metal). These results suggest that the nanowire low dimensionality reinforces or induces magnetic behavior, lifting off spin degeneracy even at room temperature and zero external magnetic field.     

Nonequilibrium spin-polarized transport through two parallel-coupled quantum dots

Spin-polarized transport through an Aharonov–Bohm ring containing two quantum dots (QDs) in each of its arms is studied by using the nonequilibrium Green’s function technique. We take both the Rashba spin-orbit interaction that exists in one of the QDs, and an inhomogeneous magnetic flux penetrating through the ring, into consideration. It is found that a 100% spin-polarized current can be driven out of the QDs ring, and both the spin directions and the magnitude of the outgoing current can be controlled. The origin of the pure spin-up or spin-down current is interpreted in terms of the spin accumulation in the QDs. This device is realizable by presently available technologies and can be used as a spin filter.     

Element-selective spin polarization analysis of surfaces by spin-polarized ion scattering spectroscopy

We discuss the validity of surface spin polarization analysis with element selectivity using spin-polarized ion scattering spectroscopy (SP-ISS). We examined the control of the incident ⁴He⁺ spins and successfully conducted magnetic hysteresis measurement on an Fe(100) surface. The spin polarization of the Fe(100) surface exposed to O₂ atmosphere measured by spin-polarized ion neutralization spectroscopy was consistent with that reported by spin-polarized metastable de-excitation spectroscopy. The element selectivity of SP-ISS is discussed in terms of ion neutralization, re-ionization, and multiple scattering.     

Two-component interference effect: model of a spin-polarized transport

The effect of spin-involved interaction on the transport properties of disordered two-dimensional electron systems with ferromagnetic contacts is described using a two-component model. Components representing spin-up and spin-down states are supposed to be coupled at a discrete set of points. We have found that due to the additional interference arising in two-component systems the difference between conductances for the parallel and antiparallel orientations of the contact magnetization changes its sign as a function of the length of the conducting channel.     

Temperature-controllable spin-polarized current and spin polarization in a Rashba three-terminal double-quantum-dot device

We propose a Rashba three-terminal double-quantum-dot device to generate a spin-polarized current and manipulate the electron spin in each quantum dot by utilizing the temperature gradient instead of the electric bias voltage. This device possesses a nonresonant tunneling channel and two resonant tunneling channels. The Keldysh nonequilibrium Green's function techniques are employed to determinate the spin-polarized current flowing from the electrodes and the spin accumulation in each quantum dot. We find that their signs and magnitudes are well controllable by the gate voltage or the temperature gradient. This result is attributed to the change in the slope of the transmission probability at the Fermi levels in the low-temperature region. Importantly, an obviously pure spin current can be injected into or extracted from one of the three electrodes by properly choosing the temperature gradient and the gate voltages. Therefore, the device can be used as an ideal thermal generator to produce a pure spin current and manipulate the electron spin in the quantum dot.     

Photon-assisted spin-polarized transport in carbon nanotubes with impurities

Impurity effects on the photon-assisted spin-polarized transport through armchair carbon nanotubes connected with ferromagnetic leads are investigated theoretically. The impurity induces one resonant state whose position depends on the impurity strength, which can break the electron–hole symmetry. Whether the impurity suppresses or enhances the spin-coherent current depends on the nanotube length. When the microwave fields are applied on the nanotube, additional small side peaks caused by the photon-assisted tunneling are found. With increasing the impurity strength, one new current peak appears under the influence of both the microwave fields and the impurity.     

Nonlinear spin-polarized transport through a ferromagnetic domain wall

A domain wall separating two oppositely magnetized regions in a ferromagnetic semiconductor exhibits, under appropriate conditions, strongly nonlinear I-V characteristics similar to those of a p-n diode. We study these characteristics as functions of wall width and temperature. As the width increases or the temperature decreases, direct tunneling between the majority spin bands reduces the effectiveness of the diode. This has important implications for the zero-field quenched resistance of magnetic semiconductors and for the design of a recently proposed spin transistor.     

Electrical transport of spin-polarized carriers in disordered ultrathin films

Slow, nonexponential relaxation of electrical transport accompanied by memory effects has been induced in quench-condensed ultrathin amorphous Bi films by the application of a parallel magnetic field. This behavior, which is very similar to space-charge limited current flow, is found in extremely thin films well on the insulating side of the thickness-tuned superconductor-insulator transition. It may be the signature of a collective state that forms when the carriers are spin polarized at low temperatures and in high magnetic fields.     

影响磁性pn结自旋极化输运特性的因素

利用漂移扩散理论研究了磁性pn结中自旋的输运特性.探讨了外加电压、平衡自旋极化率、外加自旋注入和自旋寿命对磁性pn结电流密度和电阻的影响,讨论了磁性pn结自旋伏特效应与pn结宽度的关系.发现平衡自旋极化率使得不同自旋方向电子具有不同的势垒高度从而能有效调制电流;而外加自旋注入则为磁性pn结提供了非平衡自旋极化电子从而达到对电流的调制作用,同时发现自旋伏特电流随准中性p区宽度减小而增大. 关键词： 磁性pn结 自旋极化率 自旋寿命 自旋伏特效应