Electrical manipulation and measurement of spin properties of quantum spin Hall edge states

Abstract

We study effects of a gate-controlled Rashba spin-orbit coupling to quantum spin-Hall edge states in HgTe quantum wells. A uniform Rashba coupling can be employed in tuning the spin orientation of the edge states while preserving the time-reversal symmetry. We introduce a sample geometry where the Rashba coupling can be used in probing helicity by purely electrical means without requiring spin detection, application of magnetic materials or magnetic fields. In the considered setup a tilt of the spin orientation with respect to the normal of the sample leads to a reduction in the two-terminal conductance with current-voltage characteristics and temperature dependence typical of Luttinger liquid constrictions.

4 pages, 4 figures. Footnote added, typos corrected

References in corpus (9)

• Quantum Spin Hall Effect and Topological Phase Transition in HgTe Quantum Wells
• Quantum Spin Hall Insulator State in HgTe Quantum Wells
• Nonlocal edge state transport in the quantum spin Hall state
• The Quantum Spin Hall Effect: Theory and Experiment
• The Helical Liquid and the Edge of Quantum Spin Hall Systems
• Finite size effects of helical edge states in HgTe/CdTe quantum wells
• Edge Dynamics in a Quantum Spin Hall State: Effects from Rashba Spin-Orbit Interaction
• Corner Junction as a Probe of Helical Edge States
• Tunneling between edge states in a quantum spin Hall system

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Spatially resolved study of backscattering in the quantum spin Hall state
• Spin-polarized current induced by a local exchange field in a silicene nanoribbon
• Dephasing of spin and charge interference in helical Luttinger liquids
• Polarized heat current generated by quantum pumping in two-dimensional topological insulators
• Non-Equilibrium Transport Through a Gate-Controlled Barrier on the Quantum Spin Hall Edge
• Levitons in helical liquids with Rashba spin-orbit coupling probed by a superconducting contact
• Interplay between Rashba interaction and electromagnetic field in the edge states of a 2D topological insulator
• Interaction effects in non-equilibrium transport properties of a four-terminal topological corner junction