Contributed Article

Spin polarized current from localized Rashba interaction in a quantum wire

  1. M. M. Gelabert1,
  2. David Sánchez1,*,
  3. Rosa López1,
  4. Llorenç Serra1,2

Article first published online: 22 JUN 2009

DOI: 10.1002/pssc.200881735

Issue

physica status solidi (c)

physica status solidi (c)

Special Issue: 9th International Conference Trends in Nanotechnology (TNT 2008)

Volume 6, Issue 10, pages 2123–2127, October 2009

Additional Information

How to Cite

Gelabert, M. M., Sánchez, D., López, R. and Serra, L. (2009), Spin polarized current from localized Rashba interaction in a quantum wire. physica status solidi (c), 6: 2123–2127. doi: 10.1002/pssc.200881735

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Physics, Universitat de les Illes Balears, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain

  2. 2

    Instituto de Física Interdisciplinar y Sistemas Complejos (CSIC-UIB), 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain

*Phone: +34-971172391, Fax: +34-971173426

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 7 OCT 2009
  2. Article first published online: 22 JUN 2009
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 31 JAN 2009
  4. Manuscript Revised: 22 DEC 2008
  5. Manuscript Received: 2 OCT 2008

Funded by

  • Spanish MEC Grant. Grant Number: FIS2008-00781
  • “Ramón y Cajal” program

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Keywords:

  • 71.70.Ej;
  • 72.25.Dc;
  • 73.63.Nm

Abstract

We consider a quantum wire with a finite region of localized spin-orbit interaction of the Rashba type. For energies above the onset of the second conductance plateau, we find a spin polarization of the transmitted current when a beam of unpolarized electrons is injected into the Rashba region. Our numerical simulations show that the amount of polarization can be tuned with the Rashba coupling strength, thus offering an all-electrical method to generate spin polarized currents. With the aid of a simplified model, we discuss that the polarization effect originates from the interference between subband states with different energy and opposite spin directions (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

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