Spin injection in quantum wells with spatially dependent rashba interaction
Journal article, Peer reviewed
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Date
2007Metadata
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- Institutt for fysikk [2646]
- Publikasjoner fra CRIStin - NTNU [36890]
Abstract
We consider Rashba spin–orbit effects on spin transport driven by
an electric field in semiconductor quantum wells. We derive spin diffusion
equations that are valid when the mean free path and the Rashba spin–orbit
interaction vary on length scales larger than the mean free path in the weak
spin–orbit coupling limit. From these general diffusion equations, we derive
boundary conditions between regions of different spin–orbit couplings. We
show that spin injection is feasible when the electric field is perpendicular to
the boundary between two regions. When the electric field is parallel to the
boundary, spin injection only occurs when the mean free path changes within
the boundary, in agreement with the recent work by Tserkovnyak et al (Preprint
cond-mat/0610190).