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Spin-dependent electron-impurity scattering in two-dimensional electron systems

A. Pályi and J. Cserti
Phys. Rev. B 78, 241304(R) – Published 29 December 2008

Abstract

We present a theoretical study of elastic spin-dependent electron scattering caused by a charged impurity in the vicinity of a two-dimensional electron gas. We find that the symmetry properties of the spin-dependent differential scattering cross section are different for an impurity located in the plane of the electron gas and for one at a finite distance from the plane. We show that in the latter case asymmetric (“skew”) scattering can arise if the polarization of the incident electron has a finite projection on the plane spanned by the normal vector of the two-dimensional electron gas and the initial propagation direction. In specially prepared samples this scattering mechanism may give rise to a Hall-type effect in the presence of an in-plane magnetic field.

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  • Received 16 October 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.78.241304

©2008 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

A. Pályi and J. Cserti

  • Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Eötvös University, H-1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter Sétány 1/A, Hungary

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Issue

Vol. 78, Iss. 24 — 15 December 2008

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