Spin polarization of electrons by nonmagnetic heterostructures: the basics of spin optics

Polarization-Addressable Optical Movement of Plasmonic Nanoparticles and Hotspot Spin Vortices

Spin-orbit coupling in nanoscale optical fields leads to the emergence of a nontrivial spin angular momentum component, transverse to the orbital momentum. In this study, we initially investigate how this spin-orbit coupling effect influences the dynamics in gold monomers. We observe that localized surface plasmon resonance induces self-generated transverse spin, affecting the trajectory of the nanoparticles as a function of the incident polarization. Furthermore, we investigate the spin-orbit coupling in gold dimers. The resonant spin momentum distribution is characterized by the unique formation of vortex and anti-vortex spin angular momentum pairs on opposite surfaces of the nanoparticles, also affecting the particle motion. These findings hold promise for various fields, particularly for the precision control in the development of plasmonic thrusters and the development of metasurfaces and other helicity-controlled system aspects. They offer a method for the development of novel systems and applications in the realm of spin optics.

Spin Dependent Transport through Driven Magnetic System with Aubry-Andre-Harper Modulation

In this work, we put forward a prescription of achieving spin selective electron transfer by means of light irradiation through a tight-binding (TB) magnetic chain whose site energies are modulated in the form of well known Aubry–Andre–Harper (AAH) model. The interaction of itinerant electrons with local magnetic moments in the magnetic system provides a misalignment between up and down spin channels which leads to a finite spin polarization (SP) upon locating the Fermi energy in a suitable energy zone. Both the energy channels are significantly affected by the irradiation which is directly reflected in degree of spin polarization as well as in its phase. We include the irradiation effect through Floquet ansatz and compute spin polarization coefficient by evaluating transmission probabilities using Green’s function prescription. Our analysis can be utilized to investigate spin dependent transport phenomena in any driven magnetic system with quasiperiodic modulations.

Calculations of spin-polarized Goos-Hänchen displacement in magnetically confined GaAs/Al x Ga1-x As nanostructure modulated by spin-orbit couplings

We theoretically investigate Goos-Hänchen (GH) displacement by modelling the spin transport in an archetypal device structure-a magnetically confined GaAs/Al _x Ga_1-x As nanostructure modulated by spin-orbit coupling (SOC). Both Rashba and Dresselhaus SOCs are taken into account. The degree of spin-polarized GH displacement can be tuned by Rashba or Dresselhaus SOC, i.e. interfacial confining electric field or strain engineering. Based on such a semiconductor nanostructure, a controllable spatial spin splitter can be proposed for spintronics applications.

Optical Manipulation of Rashba Spin-Orbit Coupling at SrTiO3-Based Oxide Interfaces

Spin-orbit coupling (SOC) plays a crucial role for spintronics applications. Here we present the first demonstration that the Rashba SOC at the SrTiO₃-based interfaces is highly tunable by photoinduced charge doping, that is, optical gating. Such optical manipulation is nonvolatile after the removal of the illumination in contrast to conventional electrostatic gating and also erasable via a warming-cooling cycle. Moreover, the SOC evolutions tuned by illuminations with different wavelengths at various gate voltages coincide with each other in different doping regions and collectively form an upward-downward trend curve: In response to the increase of conductivity, the SOC strength first increases and then decreases, which can be attributed to the orbital hybridization of Ti 3d subbands. More strikingly, the optical manipulation is effective enough to tune the interferences of Bloch wave functions from constructive to destructive and therefore to realize a transition from weak localization to weak antilocalization. The present findings pave a way toward the exploration of photoinduced nontrivial quantum states and the design of optically controlled spintronic devices.

Quantum transport in Rashba spin-orbit materials: a review

In this review article we describe spin-dependent transport in materials with spin-orbit interaction of Rashba type. We mainly focus on semiconductor heterostructures, however we consider topological insulators, graphene and hybrid structures involving superconductors as well. We start from the Rashba Hamiltonian in a two dimensional electron gas and then describe transport properties of two- and quasi-one-dimensional systems. The problem of spin current generation and interference effects in mesoscopic devices is described in detail. We address also the role of Rashba interaction on localisation effects in lattices with nontrivial topology, as well as on the Ahronov-Casher effect in ring structures. A brief section, in the end, describes also some related topics including the spin-Hall effect, the transition from weak localisation to weak anti localisation and the physics of Majorana fermions in hybrid heterostructures involving Rashba materials in the presence of superconductivity.

Nodal bilayer-splitting controlled by spin-orbit interactions in underdoped high-Tc cuprates

The highest superconducting transition temperatures in the cuprates are achieved in bilayer and trilayer systems, highlighting the importance of interlayer interactions for high Tc. It has been argued that interlayer hybridization vanishes along the nodal directions by way of a specific pattern of orbital overlap. Recent quantum oscillation measurements in bilayer cuprates have provided evidence for a residual bilayer-splitting at the nodes that is sufficiently small to enable magnetic breakdown tunneling at the nodes. Here we show that several key features of the experimental data can be understood in terms of weak spin-orbit interactions naturally present in bilayer systems, whose primary effect is to cause the magnetic breakdown to be accompanied by a spin flip. These features can now be understood to include the equidistant set of three quantum oscillation frequencies, the asymmetry of the quantum oscillation amplitudes in c-axis transport compared to ab-plane transport, and the anomalous magnetic field angle dependence of the amplitude of the side frequencies suggestive of small effective g-factors. We suggest that spin-orbit interactions in bilayer systems can further affect the structure of the nodal quasiparticle spectrum in the superconducting phase. PACS numbers: 71.45.Lr, 71.20.Ps, 71.18.+y.

Quantum ratchet in two-dimensional semiconductors with Rashba spin-orbit interaction

Ratchet is a device that produces direct current of particles when driven by an unbiased force. We demonstrate a simple scattering quantum ratchet based on an asymmetrical quantum tunneling effect in two-dimensional electron gas with Rashba spin-orbit interaction (R2DEG). We consider the tunneling of electrons across a square potential barrier sandwiched by interface scattering potentials of unequal strengths on its either sides. It is found that while the intra-spin tunneling probabilities remain unchanged, the inter-spin-subband tunneling probabilities of electrons crossing the barrier in one direction is unequal to that of the opposite direction. Hence, when the system is driven by an unbiased periodic force, a directional flow of electron current is generated. The scattering quantum ratchet in R2DEG is conceptually simple and is capable of converting a.c. driving force into a rectified current without the need of additional symmetry breaking mechanism or external magnetic field.

Voltage-controllable spin beam splitter based on realistic magnetic-barrier nanostructure

We report a theoretical investigation on the Goos-Hänchen (GH) effect of spin electron beams in realistic magnetic-barrier (MB) nanostructures under an applied voltage, which can be experimentally created by lithographic patterning of ferromagnetic (FM) or superconducting films. GH shifts of spin electron beams are calculated numerically for the InAs material system, with the help of the stationary phase method. It is shown that a significant spin polarization effect can be induced by such MB nanostructures with symmetric magnetic field profiles. It also is shown that both magnitude and sign of the spin polarization is closely relative to the electric barrier (EB) produced by a constant voltage applied to the metallic FM stripe of system. These interesting properties may provide an alternative way to spin injection into the semiconductor, and such nanostructures can serve as voltage-tunable spin beam splitters.

Spin transistor action from hidden Onsager reciprocity

We investigate generic Hamiltonians for confined electrons with weak inhomogeneous spin-orbit coupling. Using a local gauge transformation we show how the SU(2) Hamiltonian structure reduces to a U(1)×U(1) structure for spinless fermions in a fictitious orbital magnetic field, to leading order in the spin-orbit strength. Using an Onsager relation, we further show how the resulting spin conductance vanishes in a two-terminal setup, and how it is turned on by either weakly breaking time-reversal symmetry or opening additional transport terminals, thus allowing one to switch the generated spin current on or off. We numerically check our theory for mesoscopic cavities as well as Aharonov-Bohm rings.

Interference of Fano-Rashba conductance dips

We study the interference of two tunable Rashba regions in a quantum wire with one propagating mode. The transmission dips (Fano-Rashba dips) of the two regions either cross or anti-cross, depending on the distance between the two regions. For large separations we find Fabry-Perot oscillations due to the interference of forwards and backwards propagating modes. At small separations overlapping evanescent modes play a prominent role, leading to an enhanced transmission and destroying the conductance dip. Analytical expressions in scattering matrix theory are given and the relevance of the interference effect in a device is discussed.

Experimental determination of the Rashba coefficient in InSb/InAlSb quantum wells at zero magnetic field and elevated temperatures

We report the optical measurement of the spin dynamics at elevated temperatures and in zero magnetic field for two types of degenerately doped n-InSb quantum wells (QWs), one asymmetric (sample A) and one symmetric (sample B) with regards to the electrostatic potential across the QW. Making use of three directly determined experimental parameters: the spin lifetime, τ(s), the sheet carrier concentration, n, and the electron mobility, μ, we directly extract the zero-field spin splitting. For the asymmetric sample where the Rashba interaction is the dominant source of spin splitting, we deduce a room temperature Rashba parameter of α = 0.09 ± 0.1 eV Å which is in good agreement with calculations and we estimate the Rashba coefficient α(0) (a figure of merit for the ease with which electron spins can be modulated via an electric field). We review the merits/limitations of this approach and the implications of our findings for spintronic devices.

A controllable spin prism

Based on Khodas et al (2004 Phys. Rev. Lett. 92 086602), we propose a device acting like a controllable prism for an incident spin. The device is a large quantum well where Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit interactions are present and controlled by the plunger gate potential, the electric field and the barrier height. A totally destructive interference can be manipulated externally between the Rashba and Dresselhaus couplings. The spin-dependent transmission/reflection amplitudes are calculated as the control parameters are changed. The device operates as a spin prism/converter/filter in different regimes and may stimulate research in promising directions in spintronics in analogy with linear optics.

Surface bound states and spin currents in noncentrosymmetric superconductors

We investigate the ground state properties of a noncentrosymmetric superconductor near a surface. We determine the spectrum of Andreev bound states due to surface-induced mixing of bands with opposite spin helicities for a Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling. We find that the order parameter suppression qualitatively changes the bound state spectrum. The spin structure of Andreev states leads to a spin supercurrent along the interface, which is strongly enhanced compared to the normal state spin current. Particle and hole coherence amplitudes show Faraday-like rotations of the spin along quasiparticle trajectories.

Gate-controlled rectifying barrier in a two-dimensional hole gas

The current flowing in a homogeneous low-dimensional conductor is shown to be rectified by a gate-controlled asymmetric barrier resembling a Schottky barrier. The barrier shape is set by varying the potential along a nanofabricated nonequipotential gate which allows simple external control over the device function independent of material properties. A forward-to-reverse current ratio of more than 10(4) is obtained. The merits of diodes fabricated in this way with respect to conventional diodes are discussed.

Proposal for measuring mechanically equilibrium spin currents in the rashba medium

We demonstrate that an equilibrium spin current in a 2D electron gas with Rashba spin-orbit interaction (Rashba medium) results in a mechanical torque on a substrate near an edge of the medium. If the substrate is a cantilever, the mechanical torque displaces the free end of the cantilever. The effect can be enhanced and tuned by a magnetic field. Observation of this displacement would be an effective method to prove the existence of equilibrium spin currents. The analysis of edges of the Rashba medium demonstrates the existence of localized edge states. They form a 1D continuum of states. This suggests a new type of quantum wire: spin-orbit quantum wire.

Maxwell equation for coupled spin-charge wave propagation

We show that the dissipationless spin current in the ground state of the Rashba model gives rise to a reactive coupling between the spin and charge propagation, which is formally identical to the coupling between the electric and the magnetic fields in the (2 + 1)-dimensional Maxwell equation. This analogy leads to a remarkable effect of fractionalization of spin packets (FSP) where a density packet can spontaneously split into two counterpropagation packets, each carrying the opposite spin. In a certain parameter regime, the coupled spin and charge wave propagates like a transverse "photon." We propose both optical and purely electronic experiments to detect the FSP effect.

Spin separation in cyclotron motion

Charged carriers with different spin states are spatially separated in a two-dimensional hole gas. Because of strong spin-orbit interaction, holes at the Fermi energy in GaAs have different momenta for two possible spin states traveling in the same direction, and, correspondingly, different cyclotron orbits in a weak magnetic field. Two point contacts, acting as a monochromatic source of ballistic holes and a narrow detector arranged in the magnetic focusing geometry are demonstrated to work as a tunable spin filter.