Proposal for measuring mechanically equilibrium spin currents in the rashba medium

E. B. Sonin*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

45 Scopus citations

Abstract

We demonstrate that an equilibrium spin current in a 2D electron gas with Rashba spin-orbit interaction (Rashba medium) results in a mechanical torque on a substrate near an edge of the medium. If the substrate is a cantilever, the mechanical torque displaces the free end of the cantilever. The effect can be enhanced and tuned by a magnetic field. Observation of this displacement would be an effective method to prove the existence of equilibrium spin currents. The analysis of edges of the Rashba medium demonstrates the existence of localized edge states. They form a 1D continuum of states. This suggests a new type of quantum wire: spin-orbit quantum wire.

Original languageEnglish
Article number266602
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume99
Issue number26
DOIs
StatePublished - 27 Dec 2007

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