Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Spin Currents. Old Ideas in a New Light

Abstract

We have described the electron spin dynamics in the presence of Rashba spin- orbit interaction and disorder using the spin-density matrix method. We showed that in the Born approximation in the scattering amplitude the spin current is zero for an arbitrary ratio of the spin-orbit splitting and the scattering rate and for an arbitrary disorder potential. We also describe some magnetotransport phenomena such as negative magnetoresistance and a negative charge Hall effect which occur in the presence of spin-orbit coupling.