Abstract
Dopant ion concentrations in the sides of a symmetric quantum well are known to create a random Rashba-type spin-orbit coupling. Here, we demonstrate that, as a consequence, a finite size spin Hall effect is also present. Our numerical algorithm estimates the result of the Kubo formula for the spin Hall conductivity by using a tight-binding approximation of the Hamiltonian in the framework of a time-dependent Green’s function formalism well suited for very large systems.
- Received 12 December 2007
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.77.193302
©2008 American Physical Society