Oscillating spin-orbit interaction as a source of spin-polarized wave packets in two-terminal nanoscale devices

Abstract

Ballistic transport through nanoscale devices with time-dependent Rashba-type spin-orbit interaction (SOI) can lead to spin-polarized wave packets that appear even for completely unpolarized input. The SOI that oscillates in a finite domain generates density and spin polarization fluctuations that leave the region as propagating waves. Particularly, spin polarization has space and time dependence even in regions without SOI. Our results are based on an analytic solution of the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation. The relevant Floquet quasi-energies that are obtained appear in the energy spectrum of both the transmitted and reflected waves.