title: Electric currents induced by twisted light in Quantum Rings.
abstract: We theoretically investigate the generation of electric currents in quantum rings resulting from the optical excitation with twisted light. Our model describes the kinetics of electrons in a two-band model of a semiconductor-based mesoscopic quantum ring coupled to light having orbital angular momentum (twisted light). We find the analytical solution, which exhibits a "circular" photon-drag effect and an induced magnetization, suggesting that this system is the circular analog of that of a bulk semiconductor excited by plane waves. For realistic values of the electric field and material parameters, the computed electric current can be as large as microA; from an applied perspective, this opens new possibilities to the optical control of the magnetization in semiconductors.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física J J Giambiagi, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón I, C1428EGA Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina. gquinteiro@df.uba.ar
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Quinteiro
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berakdar
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D008027:Light; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D011789:Quantum Theory; D012399:Rotation; D012542:Scattering, Radiation