Search results for "mesoscale and nanoscale physics"
showing 10 items of 720 documents
Spin-orbit-coupling induced torque in ballistic domain walls: equivalence of charge-pumping and nonequilibrium magnetization formalisms
2016
To study the effect of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) on spin-transfer torque in magnetic materials, we have implemented two theoretical formalisms that can accommodate SOC. Using the "charge-pumping" formalism, we find two contributions to the out-of-plane spin-transfer torque parameter $\beta$ in ballistic Ni domain walls (DWs). For short DWs, the nonadiabatic reflection of conduction electrons caused by the rapid spatial variation of the exchange potential results in an out-of-plane torque that increases rapidly with decreasing DW length. For long DWs, the Fermi level conduction channel anisotropy that gives rise to an intrinsic DW resistance in the presence of SOC leads to a linear dependenc…
Exploring the graphene edges with coherent electron focusing
2010
We study theoretically the coherent electron focusing in graphene nanoribbons. Using semiclassical and numerical tight binding calculations we show that perfect armchair edges give rise to equidistant peaks in the focusing spectrum. In the case of zigzag edges at low magnetic fields one can also observe focusing peaks but with increasing magnetic field a more complex interference structure emerges in the spectrum. This difference in the spectra can be observed even if the zigzag edge undergoes structural reconstruction. Therefore transverse electron focusing can help in the identification and characterisation of the edge structure of graphene samples.
Current-driven periodic domain wall creation in ferromagnetic nanowires
2016
We predict the electrical generation and injection of domain walls into a ferromagnetic nano-wire without the need of an assisting magnetic field. Our analytical and numerical results show that above a critical current $j_{c}$ domain walls are injected into the nano-wire with a period $T \sim (j-j_{c})^{-1/2}$. Importantly, domain walls can be produced periodically even in a simple exchange ferromagnet with uniaxial anisotropy, without requiring any standard "twisting" interaction like Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya or dipole-dipole interactions. We show analytically that this process and the period exponents are universal and do not depend on the peculiarities of the microscopic Hamiltonian. Finall…
Nonlinear thermovoltage and thermocurrent in quantum dots
2013
Quantum dots are model systems for quantum thermoelectric behavior because of their ability to control and measure the effects of electron-energy filtering and quantum confinement on thermoelectric properties. Interestingly, nonlinear thermoelectric properties of such small systems can modify the efficiency of thermoelectric power conversion. Using quantum dots embedded in semiconductor nanowires, we measure thermovoltage and thermocurrent that are strongly nonlinear in the applied thermal bias. We show that most of the observed nonlinear effects can be understood in terms of a renormalization of the quantum-dot energy levels as a function of applied thermal bias and provide a theoretical m…
Ellipsoidal deformation of vertical quantum dots
1999
Addition energy spectra at 0 T of circular and ellipsoidally deformed few-electron vertical quantum dots are measured and compared to results of model calculations within spin-density functional theory. Because of the rotational symmetry of the lateral harmonic confining potential, circular dots show a pronounced shell structure. With the lifting of the single- particle level degeneracies, even a small deformation is found to radically alter the shell structure leading to significant modifications in the addition energy spectra. Breaking the circular symmetry with deformation also induces changes in the total spin. This "piezo-magnetic" behavior of quantum dots is discussed, and the additio…
Adiabatic quantum pumping, magnification effects and quantum size effects of spin-torque in magnetic tunnel junctions
2010
We study the adiabatic quantum pumping and quantum size effects of spin-torque in a magnetic tunnel junction within a scattering matrix approach. Quantum size effects are predicted in the presence of a dc bias as a function of the thickness of the normal metal layer inserted between two magnetic layers and of the fixed magnetic layer. In the presence of ac voltages, the results for the spin-torque show a peculiar magnification effect and advantages of spin-torque pumping in actual devices are also discussed.
Ground-state spin blockade in a single-molecule junction
2019
It is known that the quantum mechanical ground state of a nanoscale junction has a significant impact on its electrical transport properties. This becomes particularly important in transistors consisting of a single molecule. Because of strong electron-electron interactions and the possibility of accessing ground states with high spins, these systems are eligible hosts of a current-blockade phenomenon called a ground-state spin blockade. This effect arises from the inability of a charge carrier to account for the spin difference required to enter the junction, as that process would violate the spin selection rules. Here, we present a direct experimental demonstration of a ground-state spin …
Electric voltage generation by antiferromagnetic dynamics
2015
We theoretically demonstrate dc and ac electric voltage generation due to spinmotive forces originating from domain wall motion and magnetic resonance, respectively, in two-sublattice antiferromagnets. Our theory accounts for the canting between the sublattice magnetizations, the nonadiabatic electron spin dynamics, and the Rashba spin-orbit coupling, with the inter-sublattice electron dynamics treated as a perturbation. This work suggests a new way to observe and explore the dynamics of antiferromagnetic textures by electrical means, an important aspect in the emerging field of antiferromagnetic spintronics, where both manipulation and detection of antiferromagnets are needed.
Energy spectrum, persistent current and electron localization in quantum rings
2003
Energy spectra of quasi-one-dimensional quantum rings with a few electrons are studied using several different theoretical methods. Discrete Hubbard models and continuum models are shown to give similar results governed by the special features of the one-dimensionality. The energy spectrum of the many-body system can be described with a rotation-vibration spectrum of a 'Wigner molecule' of 'localized' electrons, combined with the spin-state determined from an effective antiferromagnetic Heisenberg Hamiltonian. The persistent current as a function of magnetic flux through the ring shows periodic oscillations arising from the 'rigid rotation' of the electron ring. For polarized electrons the …
Electron-hole duality and vortex rings in quantum dots
2004
In a quantum-mechanical system, particle-hole duality implies that instead of studying particles, we can get equivalent information by studying the missing particles, the so-called holes. Using this duality picture for rotating fermion condensates the vortices appear as holes in the Fermi see. Here we predict that the formation of vortices in quantum dots at high magnetic fields causes oscillations in the energy spectrum which can be experimentally observed using accurate tunnelling spectroscopy. We use the duality picture to show that these oscillations are caused by the localisation of vortices in rings.