Thermoelectric response of spin polarization in Rashba spintronic systems

doi:10.1007/s11467-016-0566-5

Front. Phys.

2016, Vol. 11

Issue (3) : 117201 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-016-0566-5

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Thermoelectric response of spin polarization in Rashba spintronic systems

Cong Xiao,Dingping Li(

),Zhongshui Ma

School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, Beijing 100871, China

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Abstract

Motivated by the recent discovery of a strongly spin–orbit-coupled two-dimensional (2D) electron gas near the surface of Rashba semiconductors BiTeX (X= Cl, Br, I), we calculate the thermoelectric responses of spin polarization in a 2D Rashba model. By self-consistently determining the energyand band-dependent transport time, we present an exact solution of the linearized Boltzmann equation for elastic scattering. Using this solution, we find a non-Edelstein electric-field-induced spin polarization that is linear in the Fermi energy E_F when E_F lies below the band crossing point. The spin polarization efficiency, which is the electric-field-induced spin polarization divided by the driven electric current, increases for smaller E_F .We show that, as a function of E_F, the temperaturegradient-induced spin polarization increases continuously to a saturation value when EF decreases below the band crossing point. As the temperature tends to zero, the temperature-gradient-induced spin polarization vanishes.

Keywords thermoelectric response spin polarization Rashba spin–orbit coupling Boltzmann equation analytical solution

Corresponding Author(s): Dingping Li

Online First Date: 31 March 2016 Issue Date: 08 June 2016

Cite this article:

Cong Xiao,Dingping Li,Zhongshui Ma. Thermoelectric response of spin polarization in Rashba spintronic systems[J]. Front. Phys. , 2016, 11(3): 117201.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fop/EN/10.1007/s11467-016-0566-5
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fop/EN/Y2016/V11/I3/117201

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