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Hyun-Woo Lee

Publications and source records attributed to Hyun-Woo Lee.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
arXiv2011

Ballistic spin field-effect transistors: Multichannel effects

We study a ballistic spin field-effect transistor (SFET) with special attention to the issue of multi-channel effects. The conductance modulation of the SFET as a function of the Rashba spin-orbit coupling strength is numerically examined for the number of channels ranging from a few to close to 100. Even with the ideal spin injector and collector, the conductance modulation ratio, defined as the ratio between the maximum and minimum conductances, decays rapidly and approaches one with the increase of the channel number. It turns out that the decay is considerably faster when the Rashba spin-orbit coupling is larger. Effects of the electronic coherence are also examined in the multi-channel regime and it is found that the coherent Fabry-Perot-like interference in the multi-channel regime gives rise to a nested peak structure. For a nonideal spin injector/collector structure, which consists of a conventional metallic ferromagnet-thin insulator-2DEG heterostructure, the Rashba-coupling-induced conductance modulation is strongly affected by large resonance peaks that arise from the electron confinement effect of the insulators. Finally scattering effects are briefly addressed and it is found that in the weakly diffusive regime, the positions of the resonance peaks fluctuate, making the conductance modulation signal sample-dependent.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2011

Effect of spin diffusion on current generated by spin motive force

Spin motive force is a spin-dependent force on conduction electrons induced by magnetization dynamics. In order to examine its effects on magnetization dynamics, it is indispensable to take into account spin accumulation, spin diffusion, and spin-flip scattering since the spin motive force is in general nonuniform. We examine the effects of all these on the way the spin motive force generates the charge and spin currents in conventional situations, where the conduction electron spin relaxation dynamics is much faster than the magnetization dynamics. When the spin-dependent electric field is spatially localized, which is common in experimental situations, we find that the conservative part of the spin motive force is unable to generate the charge current due to the cancelation effect by the diffusion current. We also find that the spin current is a nonlocal function of the spin motive force and can be effectively expressed in terms of nonlocal Gilbert damping tensor. It turns out that any spin independent potential such as Coulomb potential does not affect our principal results. At the last part of this paper, we apply our theory to current-induced domain wall motion.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2011

Magnetic domain wall motion in a nanowire: depinning and creep

The domain wall motion in a magnetic nanowire is examined theoretically in the regime where the domain wall driving force is weak and its competition against disorders is assisted by thermal agitations. Two types of driving forces are considered; magnetic field and current. While the field induces the domain wall motion through the Zeeman energy, the current induces the domain wall motion by generating the spin transfer torque, of which effects in this regime remain controversial. The spin transfer torque has two mutually orthogonal vector components, the adiabatic spin transfer torque and the nonadiabatic spin transfer torque. We investigate separate effects of the two components on the domain wall depinning rate in one-dimensional systems and on the domain wall creep velocity in two-dimensional systems, both below the Walker breakdown threshold. In addition to the leading order contribution coming from the field and/or the nonadiabatic spin transfer torque, we find that the adiabatic spin transfer torque generates corrections, which can be of relevance for an unambiguous analysis of experimental results. For instance, it is demonstrated that the neglect of the corrections in experimental analysis may lead to incorrect evaluation of the nonadiabaticity parameter. Effects of the Rashba spin-orbit coupling on the domain wall motion are also analyzed.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2010

Spin Transfer Torque and Tunneling Magnetoresistance Dependences on the Finite Bias Voltages and Insulator Barrier Energy

We investigate the dependence of perpendicular and parallel spin transfer torque (STT) and tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) on the insulator barrier energy in the magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ). We employed single orbit tight binding model combined with the Keldysh non-equilibrium Green's function method in order to calculate the perpendicular and parallel STT, and TMR in MTJ with the finite bias voltages. The dependences of STT and TMR on the insulator barrier energy are calculated for the semi-infinite half metallic ferromagnetic electrodes. We find that perfect linear relation between the parallel STT and the tunneling current for the wide range of the insulator barrier energy. Furthermore, the TMR also depends on the insulator barrier energy, which contradicts to the Julliere's simple model.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2010

Thermal fluctuation field for current-induced domain wall motion

Current-induced domain wall motion in magnetic nanowires is affected by thermal fluctuation. In order to account for this effect, the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation includes a thermal fluctuation field and literature often utilizes the fluctuation-dissipation theorem to characterize statistical properties of the thermal fluctuation field. However, the theorem is not applicable to the system under finite current since it is not in equilibrium. To examine the effect of finite current on the thermal fluctuation, we adopt the influence functional formalism developed by Feynman and Vernon, which is known to be a useful tool to analyze effects of dissipation and thermal fluctuation. For this purpose, we construct a quantum mechanical effective Hamiltonian describing current-induced domain wall motion by generalizing the Caldeira-Leggett description of quantum dissipation. We find that even for the current-induced domain wall motion, the statistical properties of the thermal noise is still described by the fluctuation-dissipation theorem if the current density is sufficiently lower than the intrinsic critical current density and thus the domain wall tilting angle is sufficiently lower than pi/4. The relation between our result and a recent result, which also addresses the thermal fluctuation, is discussed. We also find interesting physical meanings of the Gilbert damping alpha and the nonadiabaticy parameter beta; while alpha characterizes the coupling strength between the magnetization dynamics (the domain wall motion in this paper) and the thermal reservoir (or environment), beta characterizes the coupling strength between the spin current and the thermal reservoir.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2010

Universality between current- and field-driven domain wall dynamics in ferromagnetic nanowires

Spin-polarized electric current exerts torque on local magnetic spins, resulting in magnetic domain-wall (DW) motion in ferromagnetic nanowires. Such current-driven DW motion opens great opportunities toward next-generation magnetic devices controlled by current instead of magnetic field. However, the nature of the current-driven DW motion--considered qualitatively different from magnetic-field-driven DW motion--remains yet unclear mainly due to the painfully high operation current densities J_OP, which introduce uncontrollable experimental artefacts with serious Joule heating. It is also crucial to reduce J_OP for practical device operation. By use of metallic Pt/Co/Pt nanowires with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, here we demonstrate DW motion at current densities down to the range of 10^9 A/m^2--two orders smaller than existing reports. Surprisingly the current-driven motion exhibits a scaling behaviour identical to the field-driven motion and thus, belongs to the same universality class despite their qualitative differences. Moreover all DW motions driven by either current or field (or by both) collapse onto a single curve, signalling the unification of the two driving mechanisms. The unified law manifests non-vanishing current efficiency at low current densities down to the practical level, applicable to emerging magnetic nanodevices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2010

Roles of adiabatic and nonadiabatic spin transfer torques on magnetic domain wall motion

Electric current exerts torques-so-called spin transfer torques (STTs)-on magnetic domain walls (DWs), resulting in DW motion. At low current densities, the STTs should compete against disorders in ferromagnetic nanowires but the nature of the competition remains poorly understood. By achieving two-dimensional contour maps of DW speed with respect to current density and magnetic field, here we visualize unambiguously distinct roles of the two STTs-adiabatic and nonadiabatic-in scaling behaviour of DW dynamics arising from the competition. The contour maps are in excellent agreement with predictions of a generalized scaling theory, and all experimental data collapse onto a single curve. This result indicates that the adiabatic STT becomes dominant for large current densities, whereas the nonadiabatic STT-playing the same role as a magnetic field-subsists at low current densities required to make emerging magnetic nanodevices practical.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2010

Suppression of Spin Dephasing in a Two-Dimensional Electron Gas with a Quantum Point Contact

Spin-orbit coupling is a source of strong spin dephasing in two- and three-dimensional semiconducting systems. We report that spin dephasing in a two-dimensional electron gas can be suppressed by introducing a quantum point contact. Surprisingly, this suppression was not limited to the vicinity of the contact but extended to the entire two-dimensional electron gas. This facilitates the electrical control of the spin degree of freedom in a two-dimensional electron gas through spin-orbit coupling.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2009

Electronic interferometer capacitively coupled to a quantum dot

We theoretically study electron interference in a ballistic electronic interferometer capacitively coupled to a quantum dot. The visibility of the interference is reduced when the dot has degenerate ground states with different excess charges. The degree of the reduction depends on system parameters such as the strength of the capacitive coupling, and the dependence is analyzed in the regime where the dwell time of electrons in the dot is much longer than the electron flight time through the interferometry region coupled to the dot. The result is consistent with recent experimental data.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2009

Curvature-enhanced spin-orbit coupling in a carbon nanotube

Structure of the spin-orbit coupling varies from material to material and thus finding the correct spin-orbit coupling structure is an important step towards advanced spintronic applications. We show theoretically that the curvature in a carbon nanotube generates two types of the spin-orbit coupling, one of which was not recognized before. In addition to the topological phase-related contribution of the spin-orbit coupling, which appears in the off-diagonal part of the effective Dirac Hamiltonian of carbon nanotubes, there is another contribution that appears in the diagonal part. The existence of the diagonal term can modify spin-orbit coupling effects qualitatively, an example of which is the electron-hole asymmetric spin splitting observed recently, and generate four qualitatively different behavior of energy level dependence on parallel magnetic field. It is demonstrated that the diagonal term applies to a curved graphene as well. This result should be valuable for spintronic applications of graphitic materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2009

Analytic expression of the temperature increment in a spin transfer torque nanopillar structure

The temperature increment due to the Joule heating in a nanopillar spin transfer torque system is investigated. We obtain a time dependent analytic solution of the heat conduction equation in nanopillar geometry by using the Green's function method after some simplifications of the problem. While Holm's equation is applicable only to steady states in metallic systems, our solution describes the time dependence and is also applicable to a nanopillar-shaped magnetic tunneling junction with an insulator barrier layer. The validity of the analytic solution is confirmed by numerical finite element method simulations and by the comparison with Holm's equation.

cond-mat.other↗
arXiv2009

Revival of electron coherence in a finite-length quantum wire

We study the spatial decay of electron coherence due to electron-electron interaction in a finite-length disorder-free quantum wire. Based on the Luttinger liquid theory, we demonstrate that the coherence length characterizing the exponential decay of the coherence can vary from region to region, and that the coherence can even revive after the decay. This counterintuitive behavior, which is in clear contrast to the conventional exponential decay with single coherence length, is due to the fractionalization of an electron and the finite-size-induced recombination of the fractions.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2008

Nonlocal Spin Transport in Lateral Spin Valves with Multiple Ferromagnetic Electrodes

We study the nonlocal spin transport in a lateral spin valve with multiple ferromagnetic (FM) electrodes. When two current-injecting and two spin current-detecting electrodes are all ferromagnetic, the number of possible nonlocal spin signal states is four at maximum. In reality, this number is reduced, depending on the inter-probe distance and the relative magnitudes of the spin resistances. Our theoretical results are in agreement with recent experiments of spin injection into an Al island, a carbon nanotube, and graphene.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2008

Magnetoresistance in Spin-Polarized Transport through a Carbon Nanotube

We report on our theoretical study of the magnetoresistance in spin polarized transport through a finite carbon nanotube (CNT). Varying the Fermi energy of a CNT and the relative strength of couplings to two ferromagnetic (FM) electrodes, we studied the conductance as well as the magnetoresistance (MR). Due to resonant transport through discrete energy levels in a finite CNT, the conductance and MR are oscillating as a function of the CNT Fermi energy. The MR is peaked at the conductance valleys and dipped close to the conductance peaks. When couplings to two FM electrodes are asymmetric, the MR dips become negative under a rather strong asymmetry. When couplings are more or less symmetric, the MR dips remain positive except for a very strong coupling case. Under strong coupling case, the line broadening is significant and transport channels through neighboring energy levels in a CNT interfere with each other, leading to the negative MR.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗
arXiv2008

Effect of ferromagnetic contacts on spin accumulation in an all-metallic lateral spin-valve system: Semiclassical spin drift-diffusion equations

We study the effect of the ferromagnetic (FM) contacts on the spin accumulation in the lateral spin valve system for the collinear magnetization configurations. When an additional FM electrode is introduced in the all-metallic lateral spin-valve system, we find that the transresistance can be fractionally suppressed or very weakly influenced depending on the position of the additional FM electrode, and relative magnitudes of contact resistance and the bulk resistance defined over the spin diffusion length. Nonlocal spin signals such as nonlocal voltage drop and leakage spin currents are independent of the magnetization orientation of the additional FM electrode. Even when the additional contact is nonmagnetic, nonlocal spin signals can be changed by the spin current leaking into the nonmagnetic electrode.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2008

Nonequilibrium Dephasing in an Electronic Mach-Zehnder Interferometer

We study nonequilibrium dephasing in an electronic Mach-Zehnder interferometer. We demonstrate that the shot noise at the beam splitter of the interferometer generates an ensemble of nonequilibrium electron density configurations and that electron interactions induce configuration-specific phase shifts of an interfering electron. The resulting dephasing exhibits two characteristic features, a lobe pattern in the visibility and phase jumps of $π$, in good agreement with experimental data.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗
arXiv2008

Current-induced domain wall motion in a nanowire with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

We study theoretically the current-induced magnetic domain wall motion in a metallic nanowire with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The anisotropy can reduce the critical current density of the domain wall motion. We explain the reduction mechanism and identify the maximal reduction conditions. This result facilitates both fundamental studies and device applications of the current- induced domain wall motion.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗