We investigate effects of spin-orbit splitting on electronic transport in a spin valve consisting of a large quantum dot defined on a two-dimensional electron gas with two ferromagnetic contacts. In the presence of both structure inversion asymmetry (SIA) and bulk inversion asymmetry (BIA) a giant anisotropy in the spin-relaxation times has been predicted. We show how such an anisotropy affects the electronic transport properties such as the angular magnetoresistance and the spin-transfer torque. Counterintuitively, anisotropic spin-relaxation processes sometimes enhance the spin accumulation.
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0610770,
title = {Charge and spin transport in spin valves with anisotropic spin relaxation},
author = {H. Saarikoski and W. Wetzels and G. E. W. Bauer},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0610770},
year = {2007}
}