Spin Current and Polarization in Impure Two-Dimensional Electron Systems with Spin-Orbit Coupling

2004/06/30 by E. G. Mishchenko, A. V. Shytov, B. I. Halperin · 8 citations
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Advancements in Semiconductor Devices and Circuit Design #Magnetic properties of thin films #Quantum and electron transport phenomena #cond-mat.mes-hall

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.93.226602

published as Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 226602 (2004). · 5 pages, 1 figure; revised version according to referee's commments

arxiv created 2004/10/12 · openalex publication_date 2004/11/23 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

We derive the transport equations for two-dimensional electron systems with Rashba spin-orbit interaction and short-range spin-independent disorder. In the limit of slow spatial variations, we obtain coupled diffusion equations for the electron density and spin. Using these equations we calculate electric-field induced spin accumulation and spin current in a finite-size sample for an arbitrary ratio between spin-orbit energy splitting Delta and elastic scattering rate tau(-1). We demonstrate that the spin-Hall conductivity vanishes in an infinite system independent of this ratio.

Citations

• Quantum field-theoretical methods in transport theory of metals
• Spin polarization of conduction electrons induced by electric current in two-dimensional asymmetric electron systems
• Dissipationless Quantum Spin Current at Room Temperature

Cited by

• Mesoscopic spin Hall effect in multiprobe ballistic spin-orbit-coupled semiconductor bridges
• Spin-Hall effect in two-dimensional mesoscopic hole systems
• Exact SU(2) Symmetry and Persistent Spin Helix in a Spin-Orbit Coupled System
• Linear Scaling Quantum Transport Methodologies
• Spin-Hall effect in a disordered two-dimensional electron system
• Resonant spin Hall conductance in quantum Hall systems lacking bulk and structural inversion symmetry
• Magnetoelectric effects in Josephson junctions
• Quantum Kinetic Anatomy of Electron Angular Momenta Edge Accumulation

Related

• Vanishing Spin-Hall Conductivity in 2D disordered Rashba electron gas
• Spin Hall Effect in a Diffusive Rashba Two-dimensional Electron Gas
• Spin-Hall effect in a disordered two-dimensional electron system
• Drift-Diffusion Approach to Spin-Polarized Transport
• Resonant Spin Hall Conductance in Two-Dimensional Electron Systems with a Rashba Interaction in a Perpendicular Magnetic Field