Spatial distribution of electronic spins in a quasi-one-dimensional tight-binding model with spin-dependent hopping

Abstract

We have theoretically studied intrinsic spin Hall effect in a quantum wire with spin-orbit interaction. Our numerical calculations show that the current-induced distribution of electronic spins has characteristic spatial dependence in a quasi-one-dimensional tight-binding model with spin-dependent hopping. The difference between the chemical potentials of electrons with up and down spins shows spatial oscillation in a direction perpendicular to the charge current and reaches the maximum around one edge and the minimum around the other edge, which suggests spin accumulation around edges of the quantum wire. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.