Field-assisted electron transport through a symmetric double-well structure with spin--orbit coupling and the Fano-resonance induced spin filtering

We have investigated theoretically the field-driven electron-transport through a double-quantum-well semiconductor-heterostructure with spin-orbit coupling. The numerical results demonstrate that the transmission spectra are divided into two sets due to the bound-state level-splitting and each set contains two asymmetric resonance peaks which may be selectively suppressed by changing the difference in phase between two driving fields. When the phase difference changes from 0 to π, the dip of asymmetric resonance shifts from one side of resonance peak to the other side and the asymmetric Fano resonance degenerates into the symmetric Breit-Wigner resonance at a critical value of phase difference. Within a given range of incident electron energy, the spin polarization of transmission current is completely governed by the phase difference which may be used to realize the tunable spin filtering.     

Field-assisted spin-polarized electron transport through a single quantum well with spin-orbit coupling

We have investigated theoretically the field-driven electron transport through a single-quantum-well semiconductor heterostructure with spin-orbit coupling.The splitting of the asymmetric Fano-type resonance peaks due to the Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling is found to be highly sensitive to the direction of the incident electron.The splitting of the Fano-type resonance induces the spin-polarization dependent electron current.The location and the line shape of the Fano-type resonance can be controlled by adjusting the energy and the direction of the incident electron,the oscillation frequency,and the amplitude of the external field.These interesting features may be used to devise tunable spin filters and realize pure spin transmission currents.     

Field-assisted spin-polarized electron transport through a single quantum well with spinben orbit coupling

We have investigated theoretically the field-driven electron transport through a single-quantum-well semiconductor heterostructure with spin-orbit coupling. The splitting of the asymmetric Fano-type resonance peaks due to the Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling is found to be highly sensitive to the direction of the incident electron. The splitting of the Fano-type resonance induces the spin-polarization dependent electron current. The location and the line shape of the Fano-type resonance can be controlled by adjusting the energy and the direction of the incident electron, the oscillation frequency, and the amplitude of the external field. These interesting features may be used to devise tunable spin filters and realize pure spin transmission currents.     

太赫兹场辅助的单量子阱自旋共振输运

在考虑自旋轨道耦合的情况下,研究了通过一非磁性半导体异质结的太赫兹光子驱动的电子输运,研究结果显示频率相关的电导谱出现不对称的Fano型共振的劈裂;随着振荡场幅度的增加,多光子辅助过程出现;通过改变外加场参数,可以实现自旋过滤目的,特别是在干涉相消Fano型共振的频率位置时,出现了100%纯的自旋极化流.这些属性有助于大范围可调的自旋过滤器的实现并且可以得到纯的自旋透射流.     

Persistent spin current in a quantum wire with weak Dresselhaus spin——orbit coupling

The spin current in a parabolically confined semiconductor heterojunction quantum wire with Dresselhaus spin--orbit coupling is theoretically studied by using the perturbation method. The formulae of the elements for linear and angular spin current densities are derived by using the recent definition for spin current based on spin continuity equation. It is found that the spin current in this Dresselhaus spin--orbit coupling quantum wire is antisymmetrical, which is different from that in Rashba model due to the difference in symmetry between these two models. Some numerical examples for the result are also demonstrated and discussed.     

Polarized spin transport in mesoscopic quantum rings with electron--phonon and Rashba spin--orbit coupling

The influence of electron--phonon (EP) scattering on spin polarization of current output from a mesoscopic ring with Rashba spin--orbit (SO) interaction is numerically investigated. There are three leads connecting to the ring at different positions; unpolarized current is injected to one of them, and the other two are output channels with different bias voltages. The spin polarization of current in the outgoing leads shows oscillations as a function of EP coupling strength owing to the quantum interference of EP states in the ring region. As temperature increases, the oscillations are evidently suppressed, implying decoherence of the EP states. The simulation shows that the magnitude of polarized current is sensitive to the location of the lead. The polarized current depends on the connecting position of the lead in a complicated way due to the spin-sensitive quantum interference effects caused by different phases accumulated by transmitting electrons with opposite spin states along different paths.     

Spin-dependent electron transport of a waveguide with Rashba spin--orbit coupling in an electromagnetic field

We investigate theoretically the spin-dependent electron transport in a straight waveguide with Rashba spin--orbit coupling (SOC) under the irradiation of a transversely polarized electromagnetic (EM) field. Spin-dependent electron conductance and spin polarization are calculated as functions of the emitting energy of electrons or the strength of the EM field by adopting the mode matching approach. It is shown that the spin polarization can be manipulated by external parameters when the strength of Rashba SOC is strong. Furthermore, a sharp step structure is found to exist in the total electron conductance. These results can be understood by the nontrivial Rashba subbands intermixing and the electron intersubband transition when a finite-range transversely polarized EM field irradiates a straight waveguide.     

Electron transport for a laser-irradiated quantum channel with Rashba spin--orbit coupling

We investigate theoretically the electron transport for a two-level quantum channel (wire) with Rashba spin--orbit coupling under the irradiation of a longitudinally-polarized external laser field at low temperatures. Using the method of equation of motion for Keldysh nonequilibrium Green function, we examine the time-averaged spin polarized conductance for the system with photon polarization parallel to the wire direction. By analytical analysis and a few numerical examples, the interplay effects of the external laser field and the Rashba spin--orbit coupling on the spin-polarized conductance for the system are demonstrated and discussed. It is found that the longitudinally-polarized laser field can adjust the spin polarization rate and produce some photon sideband resonances of the conductance for the system.     

Spin-dependent Breit-Wigner and Fano resonances in photon-assisted electron transport through a semiconductor heterostructure

We theoretically investigate the electron transmission through a seven-layer semiconductor heterostructure with the Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling under two applied oscillating fields. Numerical results show that both of the spin-dependent symmetric Breit-Wigner and the asymmetric Fano resonances appear and that the properties of these two types of resonance peaks are dependent on the amplitude and the relative phases of the two applied oscillating fields. The modulation of the spin-polarization efficiency of transmitted electrons by the relative phase is also discussed.     

The influence of the Dresselhaus spin--orbit coupling on the tunnelling magnetoresistance in ferromagnet/ insulator /semiconductor/ insulator /ferromagnet tunnel junctions

This paper investigates the effect of Dresselhaus spin--orbit coupling on the spin-transport properties of ferromagnet/insulator/semiconductor/insulator/ferromagnet double-barrier structures. The influence of the thickness of the insulator between the ferromagnet and the semiconductor on the polarization is also considered. The obtained results indicate that (i) the polarization can be enhanced by reducing the insulator layers at zero temperature, and (ii) the tunnelling magnetoresistance inversion can be illustrated by the influence of the Dresselhaus spin--orbit coupling effect in the double-barrier structure. Due to the Dresselhaus spin--orbit coupling effect, the tunnelling magnetoresistance inversion occurs when the energy of a localized state in the barrier matches the Fermi energy E_F of the ferromagnetic electrodes.     

Influence of spin-orbit coupling induced by in-plane external electric field on the intrinsic spin-Hall effect in a Rashba two-dimensional electron gas

We study theoretically the influence of spin--orbit coupling induced by in-plane external electric field on the intrinsic spin-Hall effect in a two-dimensional electron gas with Rashba spin--orbit coupling. We show that, after such an influence is taken into account, the static intrinsic spin-Hall effect can be stabilized in a disordered Rashba two-dimensional electron gas, and the static intrinsic spin-Hall conductivity shall exhibit some interesting characteristics as conceived in some original theoretical proposals.     

自旋轨道耦合Su-Schrieffer-Heeger原子链系统的电子输运特性

在Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH)原子链中,电子在胞内和胞间的跳跃依赖于其自旋时,即SSH原子链存在自旋轨道耦合作用时,存在不同缠绕数的非平庸拓扑边缘态.如何探测自旋轨道耦合SSH原子链不同缠绕数的边缘态是一个重要问题.本文在紧束缚近似下研究了自旋轨道耦合SSH原子链的非平庸拓扑边缘态性质及其零能附近的电子输运特性.研究发现四重和二重简并边缘态的缠绕数分别为2和1;并且仅当源极入射电子的自旋被极化(铁磁电极)时,自旋轨道耦合SSH原子链在零能附近的电子输运特性才能反映其边缘态的能谱特性.尤其是,随着自旋轨道耦合SSH原子链与左、右导线之间的耦合强度由弱到强改变,对于缠绕数为2的四重简并边缘态,入射电子在零能附近的透射峰数目将从4个变为0;而对于缠绕数为1的二重简并边缘态情形,其透射峰数目将从2个变为0.因此,在源极为铁磁电极的情形下,通过观察自旋轨道耦合SSH原子链在零能附近电子共振透射峰的数目随着其与左、右导线之间耦合强度的变化,来探测其不同缠绕数的边缘态.上述结果为基于电子输运特性探测自旋轨道耦合SSH原子链不同拓扑性质的边缘态提供了一种可选择的理论方案.     

Electronic transport through a quantum ring coupled to ferromagnetic leads

We study the spin-dependent transport through a one-dimensional quantum ring with taking both the Rashba spin--orbit coupling (RSOC) and ferromagnetic leads into consideration. The linear conductance is obtained by the Green's function method. We find that due to the quantum interference effect arising from the RSOC-induced spin precession phase and the difference in travelling phase between the two arms of the ring, the conductance becomes spin-polarized even in the antiparallel magnetic configuration of the two leads, which is different from the case in single conduction channel system. The linear conductance, the spin polarization and the tunnel magnetoresistance are periodic functions of the two phases, and can be efficiently tuned by the structure parameters.     

Interfacial spin Hall current in a Josephson junction with Rashba spin—orbit coupling

We theoretically investigate the spin transport properties of the Cooper pairs in a conventional Josephson junction with Rashba spin-orbit coupling considered in one of the superconducting leads.It is found that an angle-resolved spin supercurrent flows through the junction and a nonzero interfacial spin Hall current driven by the superconducting phase difference also appears at the interface.The physical origin of this is that the Rashba spin-orbit coupling can induce a triplet order parameter in the s-wave superconductor.The interfacial spin Hall current dependences on the system parameters are also discussed.     

Electron transport of a quantum wire with spatially periodic spin–orbit coupling

Electron transport properties of an ideal one-dimensional (1D) quantum wire are studied including spatially periodic Rashba spin–orbit coupling (SOC) and Dresselhaus SOC. By comparing with the previous work [S.J. Gong, Z.Q. Yang, J. Phys. Condens. Matter 19 (2007) 446209], two transmission gaps appear in the transmission probability of electrons and their widths are also broadened dramatically. Moreover, it is found that their widths are sensitive not only to the strength of SOCs but also to the length ratio of SOCs segment and non-SOCs segment. In addition, a ‘circle-type’ transmission behavior has been found by tuning the strength of SOCs continuously. Our results may extend the previous work and provide an more effective method to manipulate the current in nanoelectric devices.     

Thermopower in parallel double quantum dots with Rashba spin-orbit interaction

Based on the Green’s function technique and the equation of motion approach,this paper theoretically studies the thermoelectric effect in parallel coupled double quantum dots (DQDs),in which Rashba spin-orbit interaction is taken into account.Rashba spin-orbit interaction contributions,even in a magnetic field,are exhibited obviously in the double quantum dots system for the thermoelectric effect.The periodic oscillation of thermopower can be controlled by tunning the Rashba spin-orbit interaction induced phase.The interesting spin-dependent thermoelectric effects will arise which has important influence on thermoelectric properties of the studied system.     

Resonant tunneling and quantum fluctuation in a driven triple-well system

The influence of parameters such as the strength and frequency of a periodic driving force on the tunneling dynamics is investigated in a symmetric triple-well potential. It is shown that for some special values of the parameters, tunneling could be enhanced considerably or suppressed completely. Quantum fluctuation during the tunneling is discussed as well and the numerical results are presented and analysed by virtue of Floquet formalism.     

Floquet Transmission in Weyl/Multi-Weyl and Nodal-Line Semimetals through a Time-Periodic Potential Well

A quantum pumping protocol through which the quasiparticles of Weyl/multi-Weyl and nodal-line semimetals are subjected to a time-periodic rectangular potential well is considered. The presence of an oscillating potential of frequency ω creates equispaced Floquet side-bands with spacing $\hslash \omega$. As a result, a Fano resonance is observed when the difference in the Fermi energy (i.e., the energy of the incident quasiparticle), and the energy of one of the (quasi)bound state levels of the well, coincides with the energy of an integer number of photons (each carrying energy quantum $\hslash \omega$). Using the Floquet theory and the scattering matrix approach in the zero-temperature non-adiabatic pumping limit, characteristic Fano resonance patterns are found in the transmission coefficients. The inflection points in the pumped shot noise spectra also serve as a proxy for the corresponding Fano resonances. Therefore, the pumped shot noise is also numerically evaluated. Finally, the existence of the Fano resonance points is correlated to the (quasi)bound states of the well, by explicitly calculating the bound states of the static well (which are a subset of the bound states of the driven system). Since semimetals with anisotropic dispersions are considered, all the features observed depend on the orientation of the potential well.     

Dispersive Properties of tunnelling—induced transparency in an asymmetric double quantum well

We have investigated the dispersive properties of tunnelling-induced transparency in asymmetric double quantum well structures where two excited states are coupled by resonant tunnelling through a thin barrier in a three-level system of electronic subbands. The intersubband transitions exhibit high dispersion at zero absorption, which leads to the slow light velocity in this medium as compared with that in vacuum (c=3×10⁸). The group velocity in a specific GaAs/AlGaAs sample is calculated to be v_g=c/4.30. This structure can be used to compensate for the dispersion and energy loss in fibre optical communications.     

Fano resonance and wave transmission through a chain structure with an isolated ring composed of defects

We consider a discrete model that describes a linear chain of particles coupled to an isolated ring composed of N defects.This simple system can be regarded as a generalization of the familiar Fano-Anderson model.It can be used to model discrete networks of coupled defect modes in photonic crystals and simple waveguide arrays in two-dimensional lattices.The analytical result of the transmission coefficient is obtained,along with the conditions for perfect reflections and transmissions due to either destructive or constructive interferences.Using a simple example,we further investigate the relationship between the resonant frequencies and the number of defects N,and study how to affect the numbers of perfect reflections and transmissions.In addition,we demonstrate how these resonance transmissions and refections can be tuned by one nonlinear defect of the network that possesses a nonlinear Kerr-like response.