Abstract
Spin currents can be obtained through adiabatic pumping by means of electrical gating only. This is possible by making use of the tunability of the Rashba spin-orbit coupling in semiconductor heterostructures. We demonstrate the principles of this effect by considering a single-channel wire with a constriction. We also consider realistic structures, consisting of several open channels where subband spin mixing and disorder are present, and we confirm our predictions. Two different ways to detect the spin-pumping effect, either using ferromagnetic leads or applying a magnetic field, are discussed.
- Received 5 August 2003
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.68.155324
©2003 American Physical Society