Spontaneous spin-polarized current in a nonuniform Rashba interaction system

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that a nonuniform Rashba spin-orbit interaction in a 2D semiconductor can generate spontaneous spin-polarized currents without magnetic materials or fields, offering a new approach for spintronics.

Contribution

It reveals that nonuniform Rashba interactions can produce spin-polarized currents spontaneously, expanding the understanding of spin transport in semiconductor systems.

Findings

Spontaneous spin-polarized current arises without magnetic materials.

Four-terminal devices produce a polarized total current.

Potential new method for spin current generation in spintronics.

Abstract

We investigate the electron transport through a two-dimensional semiconductor with a nonuniform Rashba spin-orbit interaction. Due to the combination of the coherence effect and the Rashba interaction, a spontaneous spin-polarized current emerges in the absence of any magnetic material and magnetic field. For a two-terminal device, only the local current contains polarization; however, with a four-terminal setup, a polarized total current is produced. This phenomenon may offer a novel way for generating a spin-polarized current, replacing the traditional spin-injection method.