Giant spin orbit interaction due to rotating magnetic fields in graphene nanoribbons - INSPIRE

DataBETA

Giant spin orbit interaction due to rotating magnetic fields in graphene nanoribbons

Nov, 2012

6 pages

Published in:

Phys.Rev.X 3 (2013) 1, 011008

Published: Jan 30, 2013

e-Print:

1211.2739 [cond-mat.mes-hall]

DOI:

10.1103/PhysRevX.3.011008

View in:

ADS Abstract Service

reference search54 citations

Citations per year

Abstract: (APS)

We study graphene nanoribbons theoretically in the presence of spatially varying magnetic fields produced, e.g., by nanomagnets. We show, both analytically and numerically, that an exceptionally large Rashba spin-orbit interaction of the order of 10 meV can be produced by a nonuniform magnetic field. As a consequence, helical modes exist in armchair nanoribbons that exhibit nearly perfect spin polarization and are robust against boundary defects. This result paves the way for realizing spin-filter devices in graphene nanoribbons in the temperature regime of a few kelvins. If a nanoribbon in the helical regime is in proximity contact to an s-wave superconductor, the nanoribbon can be tuned into a topological phase that sustains Majorana fermions.

73.63.Fg
72.25.-b
75.70.Tj
73.22.Pr

References(24)

Figures(0)

[1]

Two-dimensional gas of massless Dirac fermions in graphene

K.S. Novoselov
(
- Manchester U.
)
,
A.K. Geim
(
- Manchester U.
)
,
S.V. Morozov
(
- Moscow, Inst. Problems Microelect.
)
,
D. Jiang
(
- Manchester U.
)
,
M.I. Katsnelson
(
- Nijmegen U.
)

et al.

- Nature 438 (2005) 197
•
e-Print:
- cond-mat/0509330
•
DOI:
- 10.1038/nature04233

[2]

The electronic properties of graphene

- Rev.Mod.Phys. 81 (2009) 109-162
•
e-Print:
- 0709.1163
•
DOI:
- 10.1103/RevModPhys.81.109

[3]

J. Cai
,
P. Ruffieux
,
R. Jaafar
,
M. Bieri
,
T. Braun

et al.

- Nature 466 (2010) 470

[4]

Nature Nanotechnology, 6, 563 (2011)

X. Wang
,
Y. Ouyang
,
L.Jiao
,
H. Wang
,
L. Xie

et al.

[5]

D. Marchenko
,
A. Varykhalov
,
M.R. Scholz
,
G. Bihlmayer
,
E.I. Rashba

et al.

e-Print:
- 1208.4265

[6]

P. Streda
,
P. Seba

- Phys.Rev.Lett. 90 (2003) 256601

[7]

J. Klinovaja
,
M.J. Schmidt
,
B. Braunecker
,
D. Loss

- Phys.Rev.Lett. 106 (2011) 156809

[8]

J. Klinovaja
,
S. Gangadharaiah
,
D. Loss

- Phys.Rev.Lett. 108 (2012) 196804

[9]

J. Klinovaja
,
G.J. Ferreira
,
D. Loss

e-Print:
- 1208.2601

[10]

Nat. Phys. 6, 336 (2010)

C.H.L. Quay
,
T.L. Hughes
,
J.A. Sulpizio
,
L.N. Pfeiffer
,
K.W. Baldwin

et al.

[11]

K. Sato
,
D. Loss
,
Y. Tserkovnyak

- Phys.Rev.B 85 (2012) 235433

[12]

New directions in the pursuit of Majorana fermions in solid state systems

Jason Alicea
(
- UC, Irvine
)

- Rept.Prog.Phys. 75 (2012) 076501
•
e-Print:
- 1202.1293
•
DOI:
- 10.1088/0034-4885/75/7/076501

[13]

B. Karmakar
,
D. Venturelli
,
L. Chirolli
,
F. Taddei
,
V. Giovannetti

et al.

- Phys.Rev.Lett. 107 (2011) 236804

[14]

Quantum Spin Hall Effect in Graphene

C.L. Kane
(
- Pennsylvania U.
)
,
E.J. Mele
(
- Pennsylvania U.
)

- Phys.Rev.Lett. 95 (2005) 22, 226801
•
e-Print:
- cond-mat/0411737
•
DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.226801

[15]

L. Brey
,
H. Fertig

- Phys.Rev.B 73 (2006) 235411

[16]

E. McCann
,
V.I. Falko

- J.Phys.Condens.Matter 16 (2004) 2371

[17]

A. Akhmerov
,
C. Beenakker

- Phys.Rev.B 77 (2008) 085423

[18]

D. Huertas-Hernando
,
F. Guinea
,
A. Brataas

- Phys.Rev.B 74 (2006) 155426

[19]

J. Klinovaja
,
M.J. Schmidt
,
B. Braunecker
,
D. Loss

- Phys.Rev.B 84 (2011) 085452

[20]

B. Braunecker
,
G.I. Japaridze
,
J. Klinovaja
,
D. Loss

- Phys.Rev.B 82 (2010) 045127

[21]

Majorana fermions in superconducting nanowires without spin-orbit coupling

Morten Kjaergaard
(
- Bohr Inst.
)
,
Konrad Wolms
(
- Bohr Inst. and
- Freie U., Berlin
)
,
Karsten Flensberg
(
- Bohr Inst.
)

- Phys.Rev.B 85 (2012) 2, 020503,
- Phys.Rev.B 90 (2014) 5, 059901 (erratum)
•
e-Print:
- 1111.2129
•
DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevB.85.020503

[22]

Transition from fractional to Majorana fermions in Rashba nanowires

- Phys.Rev.Lett. 109 (2012) 236801
•
e-Print:
- 1207.7322
•
DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.236801

[23]

Composite Majorana fermion wave functions in nanowires

Jelena Klinovaja
(
- Basel U.
)
,
Daniel Loss
(
- Basel U.
)

- Phys.Rev.B 86 (2012) 085408
•
e-Print:
- 1205.7054
•
DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevB.86.085408

[24]

L.S. Levitov
,
E.I. Rashba

- Phys.Rev.B 67 (2003) 115324