Abstract—Considering Rashba spin-orbit interaction (SOI) in a interferometer with a quantum dot (QD), the phase for spin-polarized electrons transport through QD is systemically studied. The results show that, due to the presence of SOI, the spin-polarized electrons no longer obey the Onsager symmetry: neither of the up-spin and down-spin conductances are the even functions as magnetic flux, i.e., Moreover, the Aharonov-Bohm AB phase difference between up-spin and down-spin electrons is proportional to the spin precession angle. In contrast to this, the transmission phase for up-spin and down-spin electrons traversing the quantum dot presents similar behaviors, which continuously increase by π as the energy of the dot level is tuned through a resonance, and presents a phase lapse accompanying transmission zero. These novel phenomena may be originated from the intrinsic effect of electric field on electron transport.
Index Terms—Aharonov-Bohm Phase; transmission phase; quantum dot; Rashba spin-orbit interaction
R.Y. Yuan is with the Center of Theoretical Physics, Department of Physics, Capital Normal University, Beijing, P R China (e-mail:yrycnu@163.com)
Cite: R. Y. Yuan, "The Phase in a Quantum-Dot Interferometer Modulated by Rashba Spin-Orbit Interaction," International Journal of Information and Electronics Engineering vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 120-125, 2011.