Slowing down of spin relaxation in two dimensional systems by quantum interference effects

Abstract

The effect of weak localization on spin relaxation in a two-dimensional system with a spin-split spectrum is considered. It is shown that the spin relaxation slows down due to the interference of electron waves moving along closed paths in opposite directions. As a result, the averaged electron spin decays at large times as $1/t$. It is found that the spin dynamics can be described by a Boltzmann-type equation, in which the weak localization effects are taken into account as nonlocal-in-time corrections to the collision integral. The corrections are expressed via a spin-dependent return probability. The physical nature of the phenomenon is discussed and it is shown that the "nonbackscattering" contribution to the weak localization plays an essential role. It is also demonstrated that the magnetic field, both transversal and longitudinal, suppresses the power tail in the spin polarization.

12 pages, 2 figures

References in corpus (4)

• Weak Antilocalization and Spin Precession in Quantum Wells
• Giant Spin Relaxation Anisotropy in Zinc-Blende Heterostructures
• Waveguide diffusion modes and slowdown of D'yakonov-Perel' spin relaxation in narrow 2-D semiconductor channels
• Nonbackscattering Contribution to the Weak Localization

Cited by in corpus (14)

• Spin dynamics in semiconductors
• Decoherence of transported spin in multichannel spin-orbit coupled spintronic devices: Scattering approach to spin density matrix from the ballistic to the localized regime
• Weak antilocalization in high-mobility two-dimensional systems
• Duality of the spin and density dynamics for two-dimensional electrons with a spin-orbit coupling
• Quantum and classical multiple scattering effects in spin dynamics of cavity polaritons
• Spin dynamics in the strong spin-orbit coupling regime
• Quantum Interference Controls the Electron Spin Dynamics in n-GaAs
• Interference-induced magnetoresistance in HgTe quantum wells
• Spin freezing by Anderson localization in one-dimensional semiconductors
• Classical memory effects on spin dynamics in two-dimensional systems
• Non-Markovian spin relaxation in two-dimensional electron gas
• Weak antilocalization in two-dimensional systems with large Rashba splitting
• Hanle effect driven by weak-localization
• Spin Relaxation in Weak Localization Regime in Multilayer Graphene Spin Valves