Spin transport in interacting quantum wires and carbon nanotubes

Abstract

We present a general formulation of spin-dependent transport through a clean one-dimensional interacting quantum wire or carbon nanotube, connected to non-collinear ferromagnets via tunnel junctions. We show that the low energy description of each junction is given by a conformally-invariant boundary condition representing *exchange coupling*, in addition to a pair of electron tunneling operators. The effects of the exchange coupling are strongly enhanced by interactions, leading to a dramatic suppression of spin accumulation. This is a direct signature of spin-charge separation in a Luttinger liquid. Furthermore, we demonstrate that magnetic polarization can lead to oscillations in the non-linear current-voltage relation. This phenomena is a surprising purely nonequilibrium effect due to backscattering interactions, which are thus dangerously marginally irrelevant in the repulsively-interacting Luttinger liquid.