Impact of interfacial scattering on the spin polarization of a metal/semiconductor/metal with Rashba spin–orbit coupling junction

The conductance spectrum and the normalized spin polarization due to the spin-dependent conductance of a metal/semiconductor/metal with Rashba spin–orbit coupling junction are theoretically studied within a free electron approximation and a scattering method. The effect of the first and the second interfacial scattering potentials on the two quantities are considered, especially when both of the potential strengths are not equal. While the conductance is determined by the higher interfacial scattering potential, the spin polarization is determined by the second interfacial barrier potential of the junction.