Evidence of Spin-Filtering in Quantum Constrictions with Spin-Orbit Interaction

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of spin-orbit blockade in quantum dots, demonstrating a spin-filtering effect with over 80% efficiency, highlighting a new quantum transport phenomenon related to spin-orbit interaction.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence of spin-filtering in quantum point contacts caused by spin-orbit interaction, introducing a new blockade effect in quantum dots.

Findings

Spin-orbit blockade observed in quantum dots.

Filtering efficiency estimated above 80%.

Evidence of spin-filtering effect in QPCs.

Abstract

A new type of blockade effect - spin-orbit blockade (SOB) - is found in the conduction of a quantum dot (QD) made of a material with spin-orbit interaction. The blockade arises from spin-filtering effect in a quantum point contact (QPC), which is a component of the QD. Hence the appearance of the blockade itself evidences the spin-filtering effect in the QPC. The lower bound of filtering efficiency is estimated to be above 80%.