Electric-dipole-induced spin resonance in disordered semiconductors

Abstract

One of the hallmarks of spintronics is the control of magnetic moments by electric fields enabled by strong spin–orbit interaction (SOI) in semiconductors. A powerful way of manipulating spins in such structures is electric-dipole-induced spin resonance (EDSR), where the radio-frequency fields driving the spins are electric, not magnetic as in standard paramagnetic resonance. Here, we present a theoretical study of EDSR for a two-dimensional electron gas in the presence of disorder, where random impurities not only determine the electric resistance but also the spin dynamics through SOI. Considering a specific geometry with the electric and magnetic fields parallel and in-plane, we show that the magnetization develops an out-of-plane component at resonance that survives the presence of disorder. We also discuss the spin Hall current generated by EDSR. These results are derived in a diagrammatic approach, with the dominant effects coming from the spin vertex correction, and the optimal parameter regime for observation is identified.

Cite this article

Duckheim, M., Loss, D. Electric-dipole-induced spin resonance in disordered semiconductors. Nature Phys 2, 195–199 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys238

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