Spin Current and Polarization in Impure Two-Dimensional Electron Systems with Spin-Orbit Coupling
Abstract
We derive the transport equations for two-dimensional electron systems with Rashba spin-orbit interaction and short-range spin-independent disorder. In the limit of slow spatial variations, we obtain coupled diffusion equations for the electron density and spin. Using these equations we calculate electric-field induced spin accumulation and spin current in a finite-size sample for an arbitrary ratio between spin-orbit energy splitting Δ and elastic scattering rate τ-1. We demonstrate that the spin-Hall conductivity vanishes in an infinite system independent of this ratio.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- November 2004
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.93.226602
- arXiv:
- arXiv:cond-mat/0406730
- Bibcode:
- 2004PhRvL..93v6602M
- Keywords:
-
- 72.25.-b;
- 73.23.-b;
- 73.50.Bk;
- Spin polarized transport;
- Electronic transport in mesoscopic systems;
- General theory scattering mechanisms;
- Condensed Matter - Mesoscopic Systems and Quantum Hall Effect
- E-Print:
- 5 pages, 1 figure