Searcharxiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 0901.4182

What can we learn about the dynamics of transported spins by measuring shot noise in spin-orbit-coupled nanostructures?

Branislav K. Nikolic·Ralitsa L. Dragomirova
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

We review recent studies of the shot noise of spin-polarized charge currents and pure spin currents in multiterminal semiconductor nanostructures, while focusing on the effects brought by the intrinsic Rashba spin-orbit (SO) coupling and/or extrinsic SO scattering off impurities in two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) based devices. By generalizing the scattering theory of quantum shot noise to include the full spin-density matrix of electrons injected from a spin-filtering electrode, we show how decoherence and dephasing in the course of spin precession can lead to substantial enhancement of the Fano factor (noise-to-current ratio) of spin-polarized charge currents. In four-terminal SO-coupled nanostructures, injection of unpolarized charge current through the longitudinal leads is responsible not only for the pure spin Hall current in the transverse leads, but also for nonequilibrium random time-dependent current fluctuations. The analysis of the shot noise of transverse pure spin Hall current and zero charge current, or transverse spin current and non-zero charge Hall current, driven by unpolarized or spin-polarized injected longitudinal charge current, respectively, reveals a unique experimental tool to differentiate between the intrinsic Rashba and extrinsic SO mechanisms underlying the spin Hall effect in 2DEG devices. Finally, we discuss the shot noise of transverse spin and zero charge currents in the quantum-interference-driven spin Hall effect in ballistic four-terminal Aharonov-Casher rings realized using high-mobility 2DEG with the Rashba SO coupling.

Explore related subjects

cond-mat.mes-hall

Keep this discovery

BibTeXRIS

Branislav K. Nikolic, Ralitsa L. Dragomirova. 2009-04-10. What can we learn about the dynamics of transported spins by measuring shot noise in spin-orbit-coupled nanostructures?. https://doi.org/10.1088/0268-1242%2F24%2F6%2F064006

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Emergence of spin-orbit coupling among spin, atomic orbital, and Bloch dynamics in Janus double-transition-metal MXenes

We found a spin-orbit coupling to cause a simultaneous correlation among three degrees of freedom, the electronic spin, orbital, and Bloch dynamics in an investigation into the electronic structure of Janus double-transition-metal MXenes, Mo$_2$HfC$_2$OS and W$_2$HfC$_2$OS. In this paper, it is also revealed that the spin-orbit coupling causes a staggered spin configuration with a trigonal pattern around the $\Gamma$ point near the insulating gap. We developed a reduced Hamiltonian describing the electronic states and show that the spin-orbit coupling cannot be equated with conventional forms for a single electron in solids, LS, Rashba, and Dresselhaus couplings, even in the approximation under the low-energy and small wave number condition. Because of the intrinsic shape of the conduction band, a trigonally alternating spin-momentum locking emerges with the spin axis perpendicular to the layer plane. The theoretical analysis shows that these Janus materials can provide a platform for exploring the spin-related phenomena due to the trigonal spin-momentum locking other than Rashba and Dresselhaus types.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2026

A substrate booster for P-type 2D ferromagnetic semiconductor

Spin transistors with its both charge and spin properties tuned via electrostatic gating are believed capable for widespread use, which however have proven challenging due to the extreme rareness of their physical base -- magnetic semiconductors. The latter are limited within very few systems including diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS) and two-dimensional ferromagnetic semiconductors (2D-FMS), and known to suffer from inadequate gate-tunability of their electric and/or magnetic properties. Here, we show a substrate engineering paradigm by interfacing few-layered Cr$_{2}$Ge$_{2}$Te$_{6}$ (FL-CGT) with an antiferromagnetic insulator CrOCl. Owing to the subtle interfacial charge transfer couplings, CGT can be drastically turned from an ambipolar semiconductor into a high performance P-type semiconductor. When cooled below the Curie temperature, the ON-OFF ratio in such substrate-boosted FMS field-effect transistor (FET) reaches 10$^{5}$ with its coercive field $H_{c}$ of magnetic hysteresis loop tunable by a factor of more than 200$\%$, enabling {gate-assisted magnetic switching in the prototype semiconducting spin transistor architecture}. A crossover from critical power-law scaling to a dual power-law behaviour under heavy hole doping was further observed. Our findings {signify} an efficient interfacial charge transfer and electrically modulated magnetic anisotropy energy supported by calculations. This high performance P-type FMS-FET system suggests that active substrate-boosting paradigm might be a powerful path for the investigation of future gate-tunable spintronic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2026

In-plane magnetic field control of anomalous Hall response enabled by magnetic anisotropy engineering

Engineering magnetic anisotropy provides a powerful route to control magnetization orientation and unlock emerging functionalities in opto-spintronic and current-driven devices. Beyond its role in magnetization reversal, the effective anisotropy can strongly influence the magnetotransport response, offering an additional degree of freedom to tune new device functionalities. In this work, we report a magnetotransport study of a ferrimagnetic [Tb/Co]$_{\times 5}$ multilayer grown with a Tb thickness gradient, whose wedge-shaped tilts the uniaxial anisotropy axis slightly away from the film normal. Anomalous Hall resistivity measurements from 80 K to 300 K reveal a spin reorientation transition, while the angular dependence of the magnetotransport responses exposes the crucial role of the tilted anisotropy. A simplified macrospin model reproduces the full angular response across the transition and shows that the observed anomalous Hall effect when the in-plane magnetic field is applied originates from the tilt of the uniaxial anisotropy axis, which supplies a built-in symmetry-breaking mechanism, enabling in-plane field control over the out-of-plane anomalous Hall response, sign included. These findings establish tilted magnetic anisotropy as a promising route toward Hall effect-based sensor applications and highlight Tb/Co multilayers as a versatile platform for anisotropy-engineered spintronic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗