Spin-dependent electron transport in a Rashba quantum wire with rough edges

We investigate theoretically the spin-dependent electron transport in a Rashba quantum wire with rough edges. The charge and spin conductances are calculated as function of the electron energy and wire length by adopting the spin-resolved lattice Green function method. For a single disordered Rashba...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The European physical journal. B, Condensed matter physics Condensed matter physics, 2012-09, Vol.85 (4), Article 305
Main Authors: Xiao, X. B., Li, H. L., Zhou, G. H., Liu, N. H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Complex Systems
Condensed Matter Physics
Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties
Electron transport
Electronic transport in condensed matter
Exact sciences and technology
Fluid- and Aerodynamics
Magnetic fields
Physics
Physics and Astronomy
Regular Article
Solid State Physics
Spin polarized transport
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Summary:We investigate theoretically the spin-dependent electron transport in a Rashba quantum wire with rough edges. The charge and spin conductances are calculated as function of the electron energy and wire length by adopting the spin-resolved lattice Green function method. For a single disordered Rashba wire, it is found that the charge conductance quantization is destroyed by the edge disorder. However, a nonzero spin conductance can be generated and its amplitude can be manipulated by varying the wire length, which is attributed to the broken structure symmetries and the spin-dependent quantum interference induced by the rough boundaries. For a large ensemble of disordered Rashba wires, the average charge conductance decreases monotonically, however, the average spin conductance increases to a maximum value and then decreases, with increasing wire length. Further study shows that the influence of the rough edges on the charge and spin conductances can be eliminated by applying a perpendicular magnetic field to the wire. In addition, a very large magnitude of the spin conductance can be achieved when the electron energy lies between the two thresholds of each pair of subbands. These findings may not only benefit to further apprehend the transport properties of the Rashba low-dimensional systems but also provide some theoretical instructions to the application of spintronics devices.
ISSN:1434-6028
1434-6036
DOI:10.1140/epjb/e2012-30335-4