2007/02/28 by Sudhansu S. Mandal, Ankur Sensharma · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Condensed matter physics #Electric field #Electron #Lambda #Magnetic properties of thin films #Omega #Physics #Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism #Quantum and electron transport phenomena #Quantum mechanics #Spin (aerodynamics) #Spin Hall effect #Spin polarization #Spins #Wave vector #cond-mat.mes-hall
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevb.78.205313
published as Phys. Rev. B 78, 205313 (2008) · 6 pages; 6 figures; major changes including the title
openalex publication_date 2008/11/12 · arxiv created 2008/11/13 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We determine wave number q and frequency \ensuremathω dependent spin Hall conductivities \ensuremathσyxs(q,\ensuremathω) for a disordered two-dimensional electron system with Rashba spin-orbit interaction when q is transverse to the electric field. Both the conventional definition of spin current and its new definition which takes care of the conservation of spins have been considered. The spin Hall conductivities for both of these definitions are qualitatively similar. \ensuremathσyxs(q,\ensuremathω) is zero at q=0, \ensuremathω=0 and is maximum at q=0 and at small but finite \ensuremathω whose value depends on different parameters of the system. Interestingly for \ensuremathω\ensuremath→0, \ensuremathσyxs(q) resonates when \ensuremathΛ\ensuremath≃Lso which are the wavelength (\ensuremathΛ=2\ensuremathπ/q) of the electric field's spatial variation and the length for one cycle of spin precession, respectively. The sign of the out-of-plane component of the electrons' spin flips when the sign of electric field changes due to its spatial variation along transverse direction. It changes the mode of spin precession from clockwise to counterclockwise or vice versa, and consequently a finite spin Hall current flows in the bulk of the system.