2016/02/29 by Flavio Ronetti, Luca Vannucci, Giacomo Dolcetto +2 · 1 citation
Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Condensed matter physics #Electron #Graphene research and applications #Insulator (electricity) #Optoelectronics #Physics #Quantum and electron transport phenomena #Quantum mechanics #Quantum tunnelling #Spin (aerodynamics) #Thermoelectric effect #Topological Materials and Phenomena #Topological insulator #cond-mat.mes-hall
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevb.93.165414
published as Phys. Rev. B 93, 165414 (2016) · 9 pages, 7 figures
arxiv created 2016/04/12 · openalex publication_date 2016/04/12 · arxiv updated 2016/04/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We consider thermoelectric transport properties of the edge states of a two-dimensional topological insulator in a double quantum point contact geometry coupled to two thermally biased reservoirs. Both spin-preserving and spin-flipping tunneling processes between opposite edges are analyzed in the presence of electron-electron interactions. We demonstrate that the simultaneous presence of spin-flipping processes and interactions gives rise to a finite longitudinal spin current. Moreover, its sign and amplitude can be tuned by means of gate voltages with the possibility to generate a pure spin current, with a vanishing charge current.