Drift and Diffusion of Spins Generated by the Spin Hall Effect

TL;DR

This paper investigates the spatial and temporal behavior of spin accumulation caused by the spin Hall effect in n-GaAs channels, using Kerr microscopy and drift-diffusion modeling to deepen understanding of spin transport phenomena.

Contribution

It provides a detailed imaging and modeling analysis of spin accumulation dynamics, highlighting the role of drift and diffusion in the spin Hall effect.

Findings

Spin accumulation develops due to boundary-induced spin polarization.

Drift-diffusion models explain spatial distribution of spins.

Imaging confirms the role of drift in transverse spin accumulation.

Abstract

Electrically generated spin accumulation due to the spin Hall effect is imaged in n-GaAs channels using Kerr rotation microscopy, focusing on its spatial distribution and time-averaged behavior in a magnetic field. Spatially-resolved imaging reveals that spin accumulation observed in transverse arms develops due to longitudinal drift of spin polarization produced at the sample boundaries. One- and two-dimensional drift-diffusion modeling is used to explain these features, providing a more complete understanding of observations of spin accumulation and the spin Hall effect.