Magnetic flux induced spin polarization in semiconductor multichannel rings with Rashba spin-orbit coupling

GUSTAVO S LOZANO; MARIA JOSE SANCHEZ

PHYSICAL REVIEW B

AMER PHYSICAL SOC

Lugar: New York; Año: 2005 vol. 72 p. 205315 - 205315

1098-0121

We show that a finite magnetic flux threading a multichannel semiconductor ring can induce spin polarization at the borders of the sample when the Rashba spin-orbit interaction is taken into account. The spin polarization has an opposite sign on the two borders giving rise to a spin accumulation effect in the absence of external electric fields or currents. In addition the persistent charge current (PC) is investigated. As a consequence of the multichannel nature of the ring, the signature of the spin-orbit interaction in the PC cannot be encoded in a single effective topological phase.