Two-dimensional electron scattering in regions of nonuniform spin-orbit coupling

TL;DR

This paper provides a theoretical analysis of how nonuniform Rashba spin-orbit coupling affects electron scattering, revealing anisotropic polarization patterns that could enable all-electric spin-polarization devices.

Contribution

It introduces an exact spin-dependent scattering amplitude for a circular Rashba region using a partial wave method, advancing understanding of spin-dependent scattering phenomena.

Findings

Scattered wave polarization is highly anisotropic with respect to the scattering angle.

The scattering process exhibits distinct behaviors in high and low energy regimes.

Potential application in designing all-electric spin-polarizers.

Abstract

We present a theoretical study of elastic spin-dependent electron scattering caused by a nonuniform Rashba spin-orbit coupling strength. Using the spin-generalized method of partial waves the scattering amplitude is exactly derived for the case of a circular shape of scattering region. We found that the polarization of the scattered waves are strongly anisotropic functions of the scattering angle. This feature can be utilized to design a good all-electric spin-polarizer. General properties of the scattering process are also investigated in the high and low energy limits.