Nonmonotonic quantum phase gathering in curved spintronic circuits

Abstract

Spin carriers propagating along quantum circuits gather quantum spin phases depending on the circuit's size, shape, and spin-orbit coupling (SOC) strength. These phases typically grow monotonically with the SOC strength, as found in Rashba quantum wires and rings. In this work we show that the spin-phase gathering can be engineered by geometric means, viz. by the geometric curvature of the circuits, to be non-monotonic. We demonstrate this peculiar property by using one-dimensional polygonal models where flat segments alternate with highly curved vertices. The complex interplay between dynamic and geometric spin-phase components -- triggered by a series of emergent spin degeneracy points -- leads to bounded, global spin phases. Moreover, we show that the particulars of the spin-phase gathering have observable consequences in the Aharonov-Casher conductance of Rashba loops, a connection that passed unnoticed in previous works.

arXiv commentAccepted version. 11 pages, 8 figures, 3 appendices

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Cited by in corpus (6)

• Interface probe for antiferromagnets using geometric curvature
• Magnetoconductance Anisotropies and Aharonov-Casher Phases
• Spin-texture topology in curved circuits driven by spin-orbit interactions
• Magnetic switching of spin-scattering centers in Dresselhaus [110] circuits
• Formal Integration of Electron Scattering Processes via Separation of Dynamical and Geometric Contributions
• Parallel spin transport and holonomy in non-Euclidean curved circuits on a spherical two-dimensional electron gas