title: Spin-polarized transport in graphene nanoribbons with Rashba spin-orbit interaction: the effects of spatial symmetry.
abstract: We study the spin-dependent transport properties of graphene nanoribbons with Rashba spin-orbit interaction (SOI). It is found that highly spin polarized electrical currents can be produced in asymmetrically-notched graphene nanoribbons, and the polarization components are found to be along the x, y and z directions. The spin polarization is largely enhanced by breaking the spatial symmetries of ideal graphene nanoribbons with Rashba SOI, and the spin polarized electrical currents with higher flexibility in the orientation of the polarization can be generated. This offers new possibilities for the generation of high spin polarization in graphene nanoribbons without external magnetic fields.
authors.affiliation: School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, People's Republic of China. jbli@semi.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Qingtian
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8492-9965
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Materials Science, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China. apkschan@cityu.edu.hk and City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 5183000, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, People's Republic of China. jbli@semi.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Jingbo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li