Intrinsic Spin Hall Effect Induced by Quantum Phase Transition in HgCdTe Quantum Wells

Journal Article · Fri Mar 19 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Phys.Rev.Lett.100:056602,2008

OSTI ID:973792

Yang, Wen; Chang, Kai; Zhang, Shou-Cheng

Spin Hall effect can be induced both by the extrinsic impurity scattering and by the intrinsic spin-orbit coupling in the electronic structure. The HgTe/CdTe quantum well has a quantum phase transition where the electronic structure changes from normal to inverted. We show that the intrinsic spin Hall effect of the conduction band vanishes on the normal side, while it is finite on the inverted side. This difference gives a direct mechanism to experimentally distinguish the intrinsic spin Hall effect from the extrinsic one.

• Research Organization: SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76SF00515
• OSTI ID: 973792
• Report Number(s): SLAC-PUB-13920; TRN: US201007%%395
• Journal Information: Phys.Rev.Lett.100:056602,2008, Journal Name: Phys.Rev.Lett.100:056602,2008
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ELECTRONIC STRUCTURE
HALL EFFECT
QUANTUM WELLS
SCATTERING
SPIN
Other
MATSCI