arXiv subjects

Shun-Qing Shen

Publications and source records attributed to Shun-Qing Shen.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

arXiv2008

Topological Anderson Insulator

Disorder plays an important role in two dimensions, and is responsible for striking phenomena such as metal insulator transition and the integral and fractional quantum Hall effects. In this paper, we investigate the role of disorder in the context of the recently discovered topological insulator, which possesses a pair of helical edge states with opposing spins moving in opposite directions and exhibits the phenomenon of quantum spin Hall effect. We predict an unexpected and nontrivial quantum phase termed "topological Anderson insulator," which is obtained by introducing impurities in a two-dimensional metal; here disorder not only causes metal insulator transition, as anticipated, but is fundamentally responsible for creating extended edge states. We determine the phase diagram of the topological Anderson insulator and outline its experimental consequences.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2008

Disorder Effects in the Quantum Hall Effect of Graphene p-n Junctions

The quantum Hall effect in graphene p-n junctions is studied numerically with emphasis on the effect of disorder at the interface of two adjacent regions. Conductance plateaus are found to be attached to the intensity of the disorder, and are accompanied by universal conductance fluctuations in the bipolar regime, which is in good agreement with theoretical predictions of the random matrix theory on quantum chaotic cavities. The calculated Fano factors can be used in an experimental identification of the underlying transport character.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2008

Double quantum dot as detector of spin bias

It was proposed that a double quantum dot can be used to be a detector of spin bias. Electron transport through a double quantum dot is investigated theoretically when a pure spin bias is applied on two conducting leads contacted to the quantum dot. It is found that the spin polarization in the left and right dots may be induced spontaneously while the intra-dot levels are located within the spin bias window and breaks the left-right symmetry of the two quantum dots. As a result, a large current emerges. For an open external circuit an charge bias instead of a charge current will be induced in equilibrium, which is believed to be measurable according to the current nanotechnology. This method may provide a practical and whole electrical approach to detect the spin bias (or the spin current) by measuring the charge bias or current in a double quantum dot.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2008

Finite size effects of helical edge states in HgTe/CdTe quantum wells

The solutions for the helical edge states for an effective continuum model for the quantum spin Hall effect in HgTe/CdTe quantum wells are presented. For a sample of a large size, the solution gives the linear dispersion for the edge states. However, in a finite strip geometry, the edge states at two sides will couple with each other, which leads to a finite energy gap in the spectra. The gap decays in an exponential law of the width of sample. The magnetic field dependence of the edge states illustrates the difference of the edge states from those of a conventional quantum Hall strip of two-dimensional electron gas.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2008

Conductance plateau in quantum spin transport through an interacting quantum dot

Quantum spin transport is studied in an interacting quantum dot. It is found that a conductance "plateau" emerges in the non-linear charge conductance by a spin bias in the Kondo regime. The conductance plateau, as a complementary to the Kondo peak, originates from the strong electron correlation and exchange processes in the quantum dot, and can be regarded as one of the characteristics in quantum spin transport.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2008

Using spin bias to manipulate and measure quantum spin in quantum dots

A double-quantum-dot coupled to electrodes with spin-dependent splitting of chemical potentials (spin bias) is investigated theoretically by means of the Green's functions formalism. By applying a large spin bias, the quantum spin in a quantum dot (the dot 1) can be manipulated in a fully electrical manner. To noninvasively monitor the manipulation of the quantum spin in the dot 1, it is proposed that the second quantum dot (the dot 2) is weakly coupled to the dot 1. In the presence of the exchange interaction between the two dots, the polarized spin in the dot 1 behaves like an effective magnetic field and weakly polarizes the spin in the nearby quantum dot 2. By applying a very small spin bias to the dot 2, the spin-dependent transport through the dot 2 can be probed, allowing the spin polarization in the dot 1 to be identified nondestructively. These two steps form a complete scheme to manipulate a trapped spin while permitting this manipulation to be monitored in the double-dot system using pure electric approaches.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2007

Current-induced Spin Polarization in Two-Dimensional Hole Gas

We investigate the current-induced spin polarization in the two-dimensional hole gas (2DHG) with the structure inversion asymmetry. By using the perturbation theory, we re-derive the effective $k$-cubic Rashba Hamiltonian for 2DHG and the generalized spin operators accordingly. Then based on the linear response theory we calculate the current-induced spin polarization both analytically and numerically with the disorder effect considered. We have found that, quite different from the two-dimensional electron gas, the spin polarization in 2DHG depends linearly on Fermi energy in the low doping regime, and with increasing Fermi energy, the spin polarization may be suppressed and even changes its sign. We predict a pronounced peak of the spin polarization in 2DHG once the Fermi level is somewhere between minimum points of two spin-split branches of the lowest light-hole subband. We discuss the possibility of measurements in experiments as regards the temperature and the width of quantum wells.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2007

The Kagome Antiferromagnet: A Schwinger-Boson Mean-Field Theory Study

The Heisenberg antiferromagnet on the Kagomé lattice is studied in the framework of Schwinger-boson mean-field theory. Two solutions with different symmetries are presented. One solution gives a conventional quantum state with $\mathbf{q}=0$ order for all spin values. Another gives a gapped spin liquid state for spin $S=1/2$ and a mixed state with both $\mathbf{q}=0$ and $\sqrt{3}\times \sqrt{3}$ orders for spin $S>1/2$. We emphasize that the mixed state exhibits two sets of peaks in the static spin structure factor. And for the case of spin $S=1/2$, the gap value we obtained is consistent with the previous numerical calculations by other means. We also discuss the thermodynamic quantities such as the specific heat and magnetic susceptibility at low temperatures and show that our result is in a good agreement with the Mermin-Wagner theorem.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2007

Spin-Current-Induced Charge Accumulation and Electric Current in Semiconductor Nanostructures with Rashba Spin-Orbit Coupling

We demonstrate that the flow of a longitudinal spin current with different spin polarization will induce different patterns of charge accumulation in a two-terminal strip, or electric current distribution in a four-terminal Hall-bar structure, of two-dimensional electron gas with Rashba spin-orbit coupling (RSOC). For an in-plane polarized spin current, charges will accumulate either by the two lateral edges or around the center of the strip structure while, for an out-of-plain polarized spin current, charge densities will show opposite signs by the two lateral edges leading to a Hall voltage. Our calculation offers a new route to experimentally detect or differentiate pure spin currents with various spin polarization.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2007

Spin polarized current in a junction of zigzag carbon nanotube

We investigated spin-resolved electronic transport through a junction composed of a nonmagnetic metal electrode and a zigzag carbon nanotube by means of self-consistent Green's function method in the tight binding approximation and the unrestricted Hartree-Fock approximation. Our results show that the electric current can be spin-polarized if the coupling of the junction is weak. Further calculations on spin-spin correlation and local density of states reveal the existence of magnetic edge states in zigzag carbon nanotubes, which is responsible for the observed spin-polarized current and can be controlled by applying a gate voltage. We also studied the influence of the nearest-neighbor Coulomb interaction and the junction coupling strength on the spin-polarization of the current.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2007

Electric-Field-Induced Resonant Spin Polarization in a Two-Dimensional Electron Gas

Electric response of spin polarization in two-dimensional electron gas with structural inversion asymmetry subjected to a magnetic field was studied by means of the linear and non-linear theory and numerical simulation with the disorder effect. It was found by Kubo linear reponse theory that an electric resonant response of spin polarization occurs when the Fermi surface is located near the crossing of two Landau levels, which is induced from the competition between the spin-orbit coupling and Zeeman splitting. The scaling behavior was investigated with a simplified two-level model by non-linear method, and the resonant peak value is reciprocally proportional to the electric field at low temperatures and to temperature for finite electric fields. Finally numerical simulation illustrated that impurity potential opens an enegy gap near the resonant point and suppresses the effect gradually with the increasing strength of disorder. This resonant effect may provide an efficient way to control spin polarization by an external electric field.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2007

Topological quantum phase transition and the Berry phase near the Fermi surface in hole-doped quantum wells

We propose a topological quantum phase transition for quantum states with different Berry phases in hole-doped III-V semiconductor quantum wells with bulk and structure inversion asymmetry. The Berry phase of the occupied Bloch states can be characteristic of topological metallic states. It is found that the adjustment of thickness of the quantum well may cause a transition of Berry phase in two-dimensional hole gas. Correspondingly, the jump of spin Hall conductivity accompanies the change of the Berry phase. This property is robust against the impurity potentials in the system. Experimental detection of this topological quantum phase transition is discussed.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2007

Spin transverse force and quantum transverse transport

We present a brief review on spin transverse force, which exerts on the spin as the electron is moving in an electric field. This force, analogue to the Lorentz force on electron charge, is perpendicular to the electric field and spin current carried by the electron. The force stems from the spin-orbit coupling of electrons as a relativistic quantum effect, and could be used to understand the Zitterbewegung of electron wave packet and the quantum transverse transport of electron in a heuristic way.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2007

Theory of resonant spin Hall effect

A biref review is presented on resonant spin Hall effect, where a tiny external electric field induces a saturated spin Hall current in a 2-dimensional electron or hole gas in a perpendicular magnetic field. The phenomenon is attributted to the energy level crossing associated with the spin-orbit coupling and the Zeeman splitting. We summarize recent theoretical development of the effect in various systems and discuss possible experiments to observe the effect.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2007

Comment on "Nonexistence of "Spin Transverse Force" for a Relativistic Electron" by Wlodek Zawadzki (cond-mat/0701387)

This is a reply to W. Zawadzki's paper (arXiv: cond-mat/0701378) on non-exietence of spin transverse force for a relativistic electron. The force was first proposed by the present author that the spin current will experience a transverse force in an electric field as a relativistic quantum mechanical effect, and in semiconductor with Rahsba spin-orbit coupling. Zawadzki's approach is based on an incorrect relation between the velocity and canonical momentum, and his conclusion is not true.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2007

Theoretical Evidence for the Berry-Phase Mechanism of Anomalous Hall Transport: First-principles Studies on CuCr$_2$Se$_{4-x}$Br$_x$

To justify the origin of anomalous Hall effect (AHE), it is highly desirable to have the system parameters tuned continuously. By quantitative calculations, we show that the doping dependent sign reversal in CuCr$_{2}$Se$_{4-x}$Br$_{x}$, observed but not understood, is nothing but direct evidence for the Berry-Phase mechanism of AHE. The systematic calculations well explain the experiment data for the whole doping range where the impurity scattering rates is changed by several orders with Br substitution. Further sign change is also predicted, which may be tested by future experiments.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2006

Deduction of Pure Spin Current from Spin Linear and Circular Photogalvanic Effect in Semiconductor Quantum Wells

We study the spin photogalvanic effect in two-dimensional electron system with structure inversion asymmetry by means of the solution of semiconductor optical Bloch equations. It is shown that a linearly polarized light may inject a pure spin current in spin-splitting conduction bands due to Rashba spin-orbit coupling, while a circularly polarized light may inject spin-dependent photocurrent. We establish an explicit relation between the photocurrent by oblique incidence of a circularly polarized light and the pure spin current by normal incidence of a linearly polarized light such that we can deduce the amplitude of spin current from the measured spin photocurrent experimentally. This method may provide a source of spin current to study spin transport in semiconductors quantitatively.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2006

Observation of electric current induced by optically injected spin current

A normally incident light of linear polarization injects a pure spin current in a strip of 2-dimensional electron gas with spin-orbit coupling. We report observation of an electric current with a butterfly-like pattern induced by such a light shed on the vicinity of a crossbar shaped InGaAs/InAlAs quantum well. Its light polarization dependence is the same as that of the spin current. We attribute the observed electric current to be converted from the optically injected spin current caused by scatterings near the crossing. Our observation provides a realistic technique to detect spin currents, and opens a new route to study the spin-related science and engineering in semiconductors.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗