Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
9789569 Physica E: Low-dimensional Systems and Nanostructures 2005 5 Pages PDF
Abstract
We investigate numerically the spin polarization of the current in the presence of Rashba spin-orbit interaction (RSOI) in a 3-terminal conductor. We use equation-of-motion method to simulate the time evolution of the wave packet and focus on single-channel transport. A T-shaped conductor with uniform RSOI proposed by Kiselev and Kim and a Y-shaped conductor with nonuniform RSOI are considered. In the T-shaped conductor, the strength of RSOI is assumed to be uniform. We have found that the spin polarization becomes nearly 100% with little loss of conductance for sufficiently strong spin-orbit coupling. This is due to the spin-dependent group velocity of electrons at the junction which causes the spin separation. In the Y-shaped conductor, the strength of RSOI is modulated perpendicular to the charge current. A spatial gradient of effective magnetic field due to the nonuniform RSOI causes the Stern-Gerlach type spin separation. The direction of the polarization is perpendicular to the current and parallel to the spatial gradient. Again almost 100% spin polarization can be realized by this spin separation.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Materials Science Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
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