Work

Strong Tuning of Rashba Spin–Orbit Interaction in Single InAs Nanowires

Year: 2012

Type: article

Abstract: A key concept in the emerging field of spintronics is the gate voltage or electric field control of spin precession via the effective magnetic field generated by the Rashba spin-orbit interaction. Here, we demonstrate the generation and tuning of electric field induced Rashba spin-orbit interaction in InAs nanowires where a strong electric field is created by either a double gate or a solid electrolyte surrounding gate. In particular, the electrolyte gating enables 6-fold tuning of Rashba coefficient and nearly 3 orders of magnitude tuning of spin relaxation time within only 1 V of gate bias. Such a dramatic tuning of spin-orbit interaction in nanowires may have implications in nanowire-based spintronic devices.

Source: Nano Letters

DOI: 10.1021/nl301325h

Authors: Dong Liang, Xuan P.A. Gao

Institution: Case Western Reserve University

Language: English

Topic: Quantum and electron transport phenomena

Subfield: Condensed Matter Physics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund, Division of Materials Research

Awards: G381200334, G6711204355, CAREER: Tailoring the Surface State Conduction in Semiconductor and Topological Insulator Nanowires, G7689046180