Transport through a band insulator with Rashba spin-orbit coupling: metal-insulator transition and spin-filtering effects
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
2011-12-02 v1
Abstract
We calculate the current-voltage characteristic of a one-dimensional band insulator with magnetic field and Rashba spin-orbit coupling which is connected to nonmagnetic leads. Without spin-orbit coupling we find a complete spin-filtering effect, meaning that the electric transport occurs in one spin channel only. For a large magnetic field which closes the band gap, we show that spin-orbit coupling leads to a transition from metallic to insulating behavior. The oscillations of the different spin-components of the current with the length of the transport channel are studied as well.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.0905.0611,
title = {Transport through a band insulator with Rashba spin-orbit coupling: metal-insulator transition and spin-filtering effects},
author = {Thibaut Jonckheere and George Japaridze and Thierry Martin and Roland Hayn},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0905.0611},
year = {2011}
}