Magnetoresistance due to Edge Spin Accumulation
Abstract
Because of spin-orbit interaction, an electrical current is accompanied by a spin current resulting in spin accumulation near the sample edges. Due again to spin-orbit interaction this causes a small decrease of the sample resistance. An applied magnetic field will destroy the edge spin polarization leading to a positive magnetoresistance. This effect provides means to study spin accumulation by electrical measurements. The origin and the general properties of the phenomenological equations describing coupling between charge and spin currents are also discussed.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- September 2007
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:0705.2738
- Bibcode:
- 2007PhRvL..99l6601D
- Keywords:
-
- 72.25.-b;
- 71.70.Ej;
- 72.20.Dp;
- 75.47.-m;
- Spin polarized transport;
- Spin-orbit coupling Zeeman and Stark splitting Jahn-Teller effect;
- General theory scattering mechanisms;
- Magnetotransport phenomena;
- materials for magnetotransport;
- Condensed Matter - Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
- E-Print:
- 4 pages, 3 figures. Minor corrections corresponding to the published version