Spin cloud induced around an elastic scatterer by the intrinsic spin-Hall effect

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that an intrinsic spin-Hall effect can induce a spin-polarized electron cloud around an elastic scatterer, even without a bulk spin-Hall current, especially in systems with Rashba spin-orbit interaction.

Contribution

It reveals the formation of a spin cloud around an impurity due to the intrinsic spin-Hall effect in the ballistic regime with Rashba interaction, independent of bulk spin currents.

Findings

Spin cloud forms around impurity in Rashba systems

Bulk spin-Hall current can be absent while local effects occur

Ballistic regime is crucial for the effect

Abstract

Similar to the Landauer electric dipole created around an impurity by the electric current, a spin polarized cloud of electrons can be induced by the intrinsic spin-Hall effect near a spin independent elastic scatterer. It is shown that in the ballistic range around the impurity, such a cloud appears in the case of Rashba spin-orbit interaction, even though the bulk spin-Hall current is absent.