Proposal for an ac spin current source

TY - JOUR

T1 - Proposal for an ac spin current source

AU - Hofer, Patrick P.

AU - Aramberri, Hugo

AU - Schenke, Christoph

AU - Delplace, Pierre A.L.

PY - 2014/7/1

Y1 - 2014/7/1

N2 - We propose an ac current source that can be tuned from a pure charge to a pure spin current source. The device consists of two mesoscopic capacitors attached to a two-dimensional strip of a topological insulator. The change from charge to spin current is controlled by an offset in the top gate potentials that drive the capacitors. In addition to this setup, which anticipates the experimental realisation of quantum point contacts in topological insulators, we propose an analogous source in the quantum Hall regime which only relies on presently available building blocks. To this end, we calculate the band structure of a topological insulator in a magnetic field. The intrinsic spin-orbit coupling, together with a split gate, allows for an analogous source, where charge and spin current can be manipulated. The realisation of the device as well as the detection of the ac spin current are within reach of the present experimental technology.

AB - We propose an ac current source that can be tuned from a pure charge to a pure spin current source. The device consists of two mesoscopic capacitors attached to a two-dimensional strip of a topological insulator. The change from charge to spin current is controlled by an offset in the top gate potentials that drive the capacitors. In addition to this setup, which anticipates the experimental realisation of quantum point contacts in topological insulators, we propose an analogous source in the quantum Hall regime which only relies on presently available building blocks. To this end, we calculate the band structure of a topological insulator in a magnetic field. The intrinsic spin-orbit coupling, together with a split gate, allows for an analogous source, where charge and spin current can be manipulated. The realisation of the device as well as the detection of the ac spin current are within reach of the present experimental technology.

U2 - 10.1209/0295-5075/107/27003

DO - 10.1209/0295-5075/107/27003

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84904876600

VL - 107

JO - Europhysics Letters

JF - Europhysics Letters

SN - 1286-4854

IS - 2

M1 - 27003

ER -