title: Spintronics and pseudospintronics in graphene and topological insulators.
abstract: The two-dimensional electron systems in graphene and in topological insulators are described by massless Dirac equations. Although the two systems have similar Hamiltonians, they are polar opposites in terms of spin-orbit coupling strength. We briefly review the status of efforts to achieve long spin-relaxation times in graphene with its weak spin-orbit coupling, and to achieve large current-induced spin polarizations in topological-insulator surface states that have strong spin-orbit coupling. We also comment on differences between the magnetic responses and dilute-moment coupling properties of the two systems, and on the pseudospin analogue of giant magnetoresistance in bilayer graphene.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas                 78712-1081, USA.
authors.forename: Dmytro
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pesin
authors.forename: Allan H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: MacDonald