title: Oscillating spin-orbit interaction as a source of spin-polarized wavepackets in two-terminal nanoscale devices.
abstract: Ballistic transport through nanoscale devices with time-dependent Rashba-type spin-orbit interaction (SOI) can lead to spin-polarized wavepackets that appear even for completely unpolarized input. The SOI that oscillates in a finite domain generates density and spin polarization fluctuations that leave the region as propagating waves. In particular, spin polarization has space and time dependence even in regions without SOI. Our results are based on an analytical solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. The relevant Floquet quasi-energies that are obtained appear in the energy spectrum of both the transmitted and the reflected waves.
authors.affiliation: Department of Theoretical Physics, University of Szeged, Tisza Lajos körút 84, H-6720 Szeged, Hungary. Departement Fysica, Universiteit Antwerpen, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerpen, Belgium.
authors.forename: Viktor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Szaszkó-Bogár
authors.forename: Péter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Földi
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Peeters