Gap-mediated magnetization of a pseudo-one-dimensional system with a spin-orbit interaction

Abstract

We argue that a pseudo-one-dimensional electron gas is magnetized when a voltage bias is applied with the Fermi level tuned to be in the energy gap generated by a spin-orbit interaction. The magnetization is an indication of spin-carrying currents due to the spin-orbit interaction. The origin of the magnetization, however, is essentially different from the "spin accumulation" in two-dimensional systems with spin-orbit interactions.