Density-dependent spin polarization in ultra-low-disorder quantum wires

Spin correlations and spin-density wave phase in a finite-temperature quasi-one-dimensional electron gas

In this paper, we theoretically investigate the effect of temperature on spin correlations in an unpolarized quasi-one-dimensional electron gas (Q1DEG). The correlations are treated dynamically within quantum version of the self-consistent mean-field approach of Singwiet alNumerical results for the ↑↑ and ↑↓ components of static structure factor and pair-correlation function, and the wave vector dependent static spin and charge susceptibilities are presented over a wide range of temperatureTand electron couplingr_s. We find that the recently reported (2020J. Phys.: Condens. Matter.32335403) non-monotonicT-dependence of the contact pair-correlation functiong(r= 0;T) is driven primarily by an interplay between ↑↓ correlations and thermal effects. At a given temperature, the dynamics of both ↑↑ and ↑↓ correlations is found to become significant with increasing couplingr_s, manifesting unambiguously as pronounced peak at 3.5k_F(periodic oscillations) in the corresponding components of the structure factor (pair-correlation function). Analysis of static spin and charge susceptibilities reveals that an imbalance between ↑↑ and ↑↓ correlations may induce a transition to a spin-density wave (SDW) phase of wave vector ∼3.5k_Fabove a critical coupling for a sufficiently highT, while to a long-wavelength SDW phase at a lowT. Higher the temperature, higher is the predicted critical coupling for the SDW phase. Interestingly, transition to the SDW phase is found to precede the recently predicted Wigner crystal instability in the finite-TQ1DEG. Further, if one starts with partially spin-polarized electrons, the SDW instability is found to shift to somewhat higherτandr_s. In addition, we have presented results for the free exchange-correlation energy, free correlation energy, and excess kinetic energy for the unpolarized and fully spin-polarized phases of the finite-TQ1DEG. Wherever interesting, we have compared our results with the predictions of the static version of the mean-field approach.

Spin Fluctuations in the 0.7 Anomaly in Quantum Point Contacts

It has been argued that the 0.7 anomaly in quantum point contacts (QPCs) is due to an enhanced density of states at the top of the QPC barrier (the van Hove ridge), which strongly enhances the effects of interactions. Here, we analyze their effect on dynamical quantities. We find that they pin the van Hove ridge to the chemical potential when the QPC is subopen, cause a temperature dependence for the linear conductance that qualitatively agrees with experiments, strongly enhance the magnitude of the dynamical spin susceptibility, and significantly lengthen the QPC traversal time. We conclude that electrons traverse the QPC via a slowly fluctuating spin structure of finite spatial extent.

Temperature Dependence of Spin-Split Peaks in Transverse Electron Focusing

We present experimental results of transverse electron-focusing measurements performed using n-type GaAs. In the presence of a small transverse magnetic field (B_⊥), electrons are focused from the injector to detector leading to focusing peaks periodic in B_⊥. We show that the odd-focusing peaks exhibit a split, where each sub-peak represents a population of a particular spin branch emanating from the injector. The temperature dependence reveals that the peak splitting is well defined at low temperature whereas it smears out at high temperature indicating the exchange-driven spin polarisation in the injector is dominant at low temperatures.

Quasiballistic quantum transport through Ge/Si core/shell nanowires

We study signatures of ballistic quantum transport of holes through Ge/Si core/shell nanowires at low temperatures. We observe Fabry-Pérot interference patterns as well as conductance plateaus at integer multiples of 2e ²/h at zero magnetic field. Magnetic field evolution of these plateaus reveals relatively large effective Landé g-factors. Ballistic effects are observed in nanowires with silicon shell thickness of 1-3 nm, but not in bare germanium wires. These findings inform the future development of spin and topological quantum devices which rely on ballistic sub-band-resolved transport.

Effect of spin-orbit interactions on the 0.7 anomaly in quantum point contacts

We study how the conductance of a quantum point contact is affected by spin-orbit interactions, for systems at zero temperature both with and without electron-electron interactions. In the presence of spin-orbit coupling, tuning the strength and direction of an external magnetic field can change the dispersion relation and hence the local density of states in the point contact region. This modifies the effect of electron-electron interactions, implying striking changes in the shape of the 0.7-anomaly and introducing additional distinctive features in the first conductance step.

On the zero-bias anomaly and Kondo physics in quantum point contacts near pinch-off

We investigate the linear and non-linear conductance of quantum point contacts (QPCs), in the region near pinch-off where Kondo physics has previously been connected to the appearance of the 0.7 feature. In studies of seven different QPCs, fabricated in the same high-mobility GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction, the linear conductance is widely found to show the presence of the 0.7 feature. The differential conductance, on the other hand, does not generally exhibit the zero-bias anomaly (ZBA) that has been proposed to indicate the Kondo effect. Indeed, even in the small subset of QPCs found to exhibit such an anomaly, the linear conductance does not always follow the universal temperature-dependent scaling behavior expected for the Kondo effect. Taken collectively, our observations demonstrate that, unlike the 0.7 feature, the ZBA is not a generic feature of low-temperature QPC conduction. We furthermore conclude that the mere observation of the ZBA alone is insufficient evidence for concluding that Kondo physics is active. While we do not rule out the possibility that the Kondo effect may occur in QPCs, our results appear to indicate that its observation requires a very strict set of conditions to be satisfied. This should be contrasted with the case of the 0.7 feature, which has been apparent since the earliest experimental investigations of QPC transport.

Extreme sensitivity of the spin-splitting and 0.7 anomaly to confining potential in one-dimensional nanoelectronic devices

Quantum point contacts (QPCs) have shown promise as nanoscale spin-selective components for spintronic applications and are of fundamental interest in the study of electron many-body effects such as the 0.7 × 2e(2)/h anomaly. We report on the dependence of the 1D Landé g-factor g and 0.7 anomaly on electron density and confinement in QPCs with two different top-gate architectures. We obtain g values up to 2.8 for the lowest 1D subband, significantly exceeding previous in-plane g-factor values in AlGaAs/GaAs QPCs and approaching that in InGaAs/InP QPCs. We show that g is highly sensitive to confinement potential, particularly for the lowest 1D subband. This suggests careful management of the QPC's confinement potential may enable the high g desirable for spintronic applications without resorting to narrow-gap materials such as InAs or InSb. The 0.7 anomaly and zero-bias peak are also highly sensitive to confining potential, explaining the conflicting density dependencies of the 0.7 anomaly in the literature.

Influence of surface scattering on the anomalous conductance plateaus in an asymmetrically biased InAs/In(0.52)Al(0.48)As quantum point contact

We study of the appearance and evolution of several anomalous (i.e., G < G(0) D 2e(2)/h) conductance plateaus in an In(0.52)Al(0.48)As/InAs quantum point contact (QPC). This work was performed at T = 4:2 K as a function of the offset bias ΔV(G) between the two in-plane gates of the QPC. The number and location of the anomalous conductance plateaus strongly depend on the polarity of the offset bias. The anomalous plateaus appear only over an intermediate range of offset bias of several volts. They are quite robust, being observed over a maximum range of nearly 1 V for the common sweep voltage applied to the two gates. These results are interpreted as evidence for the sensitivity of the QPC spin polarization to defects (surface roughness and impurity (dangling bond) scattering) generated during the etching process that forms the QPC side walls. This assertion is supported by non-equilibrium Green function simulations of the conductance of a single QPC in the presence of dangling bonds on its walls. Our simulations show that a spin conductance polarization as high as 98% can be achieved despite the presence of dangling bonds. The maximum in is not necessarily reached where the conductance of the channel is equal to 0:5G(0).

What lurks below the last plateau: experimental studies of the 0.7 × 2e(2)/h conductance anomaly in one-dimensional systems

The integer quantised conductance of one-dimensional electron systems is a well-understood effect of quantum confinement. A number of fractionally quantised plateaus are also commonly observed. They are attributed to many-body effects, but their precise origin is still a matter of debate, having attracted considerable interest over the past 15 years. This review reports on experimental studies of fractionally quantised plateaus in semiconductor quantum point contacts and quantum wires, focusing on the 0.7 × 2e(2)/h conductance anomaly, its analogues at higher conductances and the zero-bias peak observed in the dc source-drain bias for conductances less than 2e(2)/h.

Compressibility measurements of quasi-one-dimensional quantum wires

We report measurements of the compressibility of a one-dimensional quantum wire, defined in the upper well of a GaAs/AlGaAs double quantum well heterostructure. A wire defined simultaneously in the lower well probes the ability of the upper wire to screen the electric field from a biased surface gate. The technique is sensitive enough to resolve spin splitting of the subbands in the presence of an in-plane magnetic field. We measure a compressibility signal due to the 0.7 structure and study its evolution with increasing temperature and magnetic field. We see no evidence of the formation of the quasibound state predicted by the Kondo model, instead our data are consistent with theories which predict that the 0.7 structure arises as a result of spontaneous spin polarization.

Tracking the energies of one-dimensional sub-band edges in quantum point contacts using dc conductance measurements

The semiconductor quantum point contact has long been a focal point for studies of one-dimensional (1D) electron transport. Their electrical properties are typically studied using ac conductance methods, but recent work has shown that the dc conductance can be used to obtain additional information, with a density-dependent Landé effective g-factor recently reported (Chen et al 2009 Phys. Rev. B 79 081301). We discuss previous dc conductance measurements of quantum point contacts, demonstrating how valuable additional information can be extracted from the data. We provide a comprehensive and general framework for dc conductance measurements that provides a path to improving the accuracy of existing data and obtaining useful additional data. A key aspect is that dc conductance measurements can be used to map the energy of the 1D sub-band edges directly, giving new insight into the physics that takes place as the spin-split 1D sub-bands populate. Through a re-analysis of the data obtained by Chen et al, we obtain two findings. The first is that the 2↓ sub-band edge closely tracks the source chemical potential when it first begins populating before dropping more rapidly in energy. The second is that the 2↑ sub-band populates more rapidly as the sub-band edge approaches the drain potential. This second finding suggests that the spin-gap may stop opening, or even begin to close again, as the 2↑ sub-band continues populating, consistent with recent theoretical calculations and experimental studies.

Ferromagnetically coupled magnetic impurities in a quantum point contact

We investigate the ground and excited states of interacting electrons in a quantum point contact using an exact diagonalization method. We find that strongly localized states in the point contact appear when a new transverse conductance channel opens and longitudinal resonant level is formed due to momentum mismatch. These localized states form magnetic impurity states which are stable in a finite regime of chemical potential and excitation energy. Interestingly, these magnetic impurities have ferromagnetic coupling, which sheds light on the experimentally observed puzzling coexistence of Kondo correlation and spin filtering in a quantum point contact.

Ferromagnetic spin coupling as the origin of 0.7 anomaly in quantum point contacts

We study one-dimensional itinerant electron models with ferromagnetic coupling to investigate the origin of the 0.7 anomaly in quantum point contacts. Linear conductance calculations from the quantum Monte Carlo technique for spin interactions of different spatial range suggest that 0.7(2e;{2}/h) anomaly results from a strong interaction of low-density conduction electrons to ferromagnetic fluctuations formed across the potential barrier. The conductance plateau appears due to the strong incoherent scattering at high temperature when the electron traversal time matches the time scale of dynamic ferromagnetic excitations.

Wigner crystal physics in quantum wires

The physics of interacting quantum wires has attracted a lot of attention recently. When the density of electrons in the wire is very low, the strong repulsion between electrons leads to the formation of a Wigner crystal. We review the rich spin and orbital properties of the Wigner crystal, in both the one-dimensional and the quasi-one-dimensional regimes. In the one-dimensional Wigner crystal the electron spins form an antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain with exponentially small exchange coupling. In the presence of leads, the resulting inhomogeneity of the electron density causes a violation of spin-charge separation. As a consequence the spin degrees of freedom affect the conductance of the wire. Upon increasing the electron density, the Wigner crystal starts deviating from the strictly one-dimensional geometry, forming a zigzag structure instead. Spin interactions in this regime are dominated by ring exchanges, and the phase diagram of the resulting zigzag spin chain has a number of unpolarized phases as well as regions of complete and partial spin polarization. Finally we address the orbital properties in the vicinity of the transition from a one-dimensional to a quasi-one-dimensional state. Due to the locking between chains in the zigzag Wigner crystal, only one gapless mode exists. Manifestations of Wigner crystal physics at weak interactions are explored by studying the fate of the additional gapped low-energy mode as a function of interaction strength.

Spin-incoherent transport in quantum wires

When a quantum wire is weakly confined, a conductance plateau appears at e;{2}/h with decreasing carrier density in zero magnetic field accompanied by a gradual suppression of the 2e;{2}/h plateau. Applying an in-plane magnetic field B_{ parallel} does not alter the value of this quantization; however, the e;{2}/h plateau weakens with increasing B_{ parallel} up to 9 T, and then strengthens on further increasing B_{ parallel}, which also restores the 2e;{2}/h plateau. Our results are consistent with spin-incoherent transport in a one-dimensional wire.

0.7 Structure and zero bias anomaly in ballistic hole quantum wires

We study the anomalous conductance plateau around G=0.7(2e2/h) and the zero bias anomaly in ballistic hole quantum wires with respect to in-plane magnetic fields applied parallel B parallel and perpendicular B perpendicular to the quantum wire. As seen in electron quantum wires, the magnetic fields shift the 0.7 structure down to G=0.5(2e2/h) and simultaneously quench the zero bias anomaly. However, these effects are strongly dependent on the orientation of the magnetic field, owing to the highly anisotropic effective Landé g-factor g* in hole quantum wires. Our results highlight the fundamental role that spin plays in both the 0.7 structure and zero bias anomaly.

Probing the microscopic structure of bound states in quantum point contacts

Using an approach that allows us to probe the electronic structure of strongly pinched-off quantum point contacts (QPCs), we provide evidence for the formation of self-consistently realized bound states (BSs) in these structures. Our approach exploits the resonant interaction between closely coupled QPCs, and demonstrates that the BSs may give rise to a robust confinement of single spins, which show clear Zeeman splitting in a magnetic field.

Resonantly enhanced nonlinear conductance in long quantum point contacts near pinch-off

We report on a remarkable resonance in the differential conductance of long quantum point contacts (QPCs) that is observed as a precursor to regular quantized transport. This effect is increasingly pronounced in longer QPCs, in which the differential conductance may resonantly exceed 2e2/h. From a study of the experimental characteristics of this feature, we suggest that it may be associated with the formation of a well-resolved energy gap that opens dynamically as a result of enhanced many-body interactions in long QPCs.

Shot-noise signatures of 0.7 structure and spin in a quantum point contact

We report simultaneous measurement of shot noise and dc transport in a quantum point contact as a function of source-drain bias, gate voltage, and in-plane magnetic field. Shot noise at zero field exhibits an asymmetry related to the 0.7 structure in conductance. The asymmetry in noise evolves smoothly into the symmetric signature of spin-resolved electron transmission at high field. Comparison to a phenomenological model with density-dependent level splitting yields good quantitative agreement.

Interference as a probe of spin incoherence in strongly interacting quantum wires

We show that interference experiments can be used to identify the spin-incoherent regime of strongly interacting one-dimensional conductors. Two qualitative signatures of spin incoherence are found: a strong magnetic field dependence of the interference contrast and an anomalous scaling of the interference contrast with the applied voltage, with a temperature and magnetic field dependent scaling exponent. The experiments distinguish the spin-incoherent from the spin-polarized regime, and so may be useful in deciding between alternative explanations proposed for the anomalous conductance quantization observed in quantum point contacts and quantum wires at low density.

Conductance Quantization at a Half-Integer Plateau in a Symmetric GaAs Quantum Wire

We present data from an induced gallium arsenide (GaAs) quantum wire that exhibits an additional conductance plateau at 0.5(2e2/h), where e is the charge of an electron and h is Planck's constant, in zero magnetic field. The plateau was most pronounced when the potential landscape was tuned to be symmetric by using low-temperature scanning-probe techniques. Source-drain energy spectroscopy and temperature response support the hypothesis that the origin of the plateau is the spontaneous spin-polarization of the transport electrons: a ferromagnetic phase. Such devices may have applications in the field of spintronics to either generate or detect a spin-polarized current without the complications associated with external magnetic fields or magnetic materials.

Spontaneous spin polarization in quantum point contacts

We use spatial spin separation by a magnetic focusing technique to probe the polarization of quantum point contacts. The point contacts are fabricated from p-type GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures. A finite polarization is measured in the low-density regime, when the conductance of a point contact is tuned to < 2e2/h. Polarization is stronger in samples with a well-defined "0.7 structure."

Decoherence of the Kondo singlet via a quantum point contact detector

We investigate the effect of the charge state measurement of the Kondo singlet in a quantum dot transistor via a capacitively coupled quantum point contact detector. By employing the variational ansatz for the singlet ground state of the quantum dot combined with the density matrix formulation for the coupled system, we show that the coherent Kondo singlet is destroyed by the phase-sensitive as well as the current-sensitive detection in the transmission and reflection coefficients at the quantum point contact. We argue that the phase-sensitive component of the decoherence rate may explain the anomalous features observed in a recent experiment by Avinun-Kalish et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 156801 (2004)]. We also discuss the correlations of the shot noise at the quantum point contact detector and the decoherence in the quantum dot.

Nonequilibrium quantum phase transition in itinerant electron systems

We study the effect of the voltage bias on the ferromagnetic phase transition in a one-dimensional itinerant electron system. The applied voltage drives the system into a nonequilibrium steady state with a nonzero electric current. The bias changes the universality class of the second order ferromagnetic transition. While the equilibrium transition belongs to the universality class of the uniaxial ferroelectric, we find the mean-field behavior near the nonequilibrium critical point.

One-dimensional hole gas in germanium/silicon nanowire heterostructures

Two-dimensional electron and hole gas systems, enabled through band structure design and epitaxial growth on planar substrates, have served as key platforms for fundamental condensed matter research and high-performance devices. The analogous development of one-dimensional (1D) electron or hole gas systems through controlled growth on 1D nanostructure substrates, which could open up opportunities beyond existing carbon nanotube and nanowire systems, has not been realized. Here, we report the synthesis and transport studies of a 1D hole gas system based on a free-standing germanium/silicon (Ge/Si) core/shell nanowire heterostructure. Room temperature electrical transport measurements clearly show hole accumulation in undoped Ge/Si nanowire heterostructures, in contrast to control experiments on single-component nanowires. Low-temperature studies show well-controlled Coulomb blockade oscillations when the Si shell serves as a tunnel barrier to the hole gas in the Ge channel. Transparent contacts to the hole gas also have been reproducibly achieved by thermal annealing. In such devices, we observe conductance quantization at low temperatures, corresponding to ballistic transport through 1D subbands, where the measured subband energy spacings agree with calculations for a cylindrical confinement potential. In addition, we observe a "0.7 structure," which has been attributed to spontaneous spin polarization, suggesting the universality of this phenomenon in interacting 1D systems. Lastly, the conductance exhibits little temperature dependence, consistent with our calculation of reduced backscattering in this 1D system, and suggests that transport is ballistic even at room temperature.

Spin-Charge Separation and Localization in One Dimension

We report on measurements of quantum many-body modes in ballistic wires and their dependence on Coulomb interactions, obtained by tunneling between two parallel wires in an GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure while varying electron density. We observed two spin modes and one charge mode of the coupled wires and mapped the dispersion velocities of the modes down to a critical density, at which spontaneous localization was observed. Theoretical calculations of the charge velocity agree well with the data, although they also predict an additional charge mode that was not observed. The measured spin velocity was smaller than theoretically predicted.

Finite bias conductance of an Anderson level: A source-Liouville Hartree–Fock study

We address the problem of stationary conductance through an Anderson spin-degenerate level at finite bias. Just as in the Anderson solution, for a finite bias in parameter space (bias, gate voltage, interaction constant, and the couplings to the leads) there exist spin-polarized and non-spin-polarized regions. The transition curve between them is found analytically for the case of symmetric coupling to the left and right leads. We approach the problem by a non-Markovian source-Liouville equation where the two-body interaction self-energies are taken in the Hartree-Fock approximation.

Anomalous conductance quantization in carbon nanotubes

Conductance measurements of carbon nanotubes containing gated local depletion regions exhibit plateaus as a function of gate voltage, spaced by approximately 1e(2)/h, the quantum of conductance for a single (nondegenerate) mode. Plateau structure is investigated as a function of bias voltage, temperature, and magnetic field. We speculate on the origin of this surprising quantization, which appears to lack band and spin degeneracy.

Ferromagnetic transition in one-dimensional itinerant electron systems

We use bosonization to derive the effective field theory that properly describes ferromagnetic transition in one-dimensional itinerant electron systems. The resultant theory is shown to have dynamical exponent z = 2 at tree level and upper critical dimension dc = 2. Thus one dimension is below the upper critical dimension of the theory, and the critical behavior of the transition is controlled by an interacting fixed point, which we study via epsilon expansion. Comparisons will be made with the Hertz-Millis theory, which describes the ferromagnetic transition in higher dimensions.

Controlled dephasing of a quantum dot in the Kondo regime

Kondo correlation in a spin polarized quantum dot (QD) results from the dynamical formation of a spin singlet between the dot's net spin and a Kondo cloud of electrons in the leads, leading to enhanced coherent transport through the QD. We demonstrate here significant dephasing of such transport by coupling the QD and its leads to potential fluctuations in a nearby "potential detector." The qualitative dephasing is similar to that of a QD in the Coulomb blockade regime in spite of the fact that the mechanism of transport is quite different. A much stronger than expected suppression of coherent transport is measured, suggesting that dephasing is induced mostly in the "Kondo cloud" of electrons within the leads and not in the QD.

Conductance of a quantum wire in the Wigner-crystal regime

We study the effect of Coulomb interactions on the conductance of a single-mode quantum wire connecting two bulk leads. When the density of electrons in the wire is very low, they arrange in a finite-length Wigner crystal. In this regime the electron spins form an antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain with an exponentially small coupling J. An electric current in the wire perturbs the spin chain and gives rise to a temperature-dependent contribution of the spin subsystem to the resistance. At low temperature T<<J this effect is small, and the conductance of the wire remains close to 2e2/h. At T>>J the spin effect reduces the conductance to e2/h.

Detection of local-moment formation using the resonant interaction between coupled quantum wires

We study the influence of many-body interactions on the transport characteristics of a pair of quantum wires that are coupled to each other by means of a quantum dot. Under conditions where a local magnetic moment is formed in one of the wires, tunnel coupling to the other gives rise to an associated peak in its density of states, which can be detected directly in a conductance measurement. Our theory is therefore able to account for the key observations in the recent study of T. Morimoto et al. [Appl. Phys. Lett., ()]], and demonstrates that coupled quantum wires may be used as a system for the detection of local magnetic-moment formation.

SPIN-CHARGE STRUCTURE OF QUANTUM WIRES COUPLED TO ELECTRON RESERVOIRS

We report the correlated charge and spin density distributions in a quantum wire coupled to electron reservoirs. It is found that charging the wire because of the electron density redistribution between the wire and reservoirs results in the increase of the critical electron density, below which the spontaneous spin polarization appears. The distributions of the electron densities with spin up and spin down along the wire have components oscillating in opposite phases with the wave vector 2kF, kF being the Fermi wave vector. As a result the antiferromagnetic spin order appears, with one of the spin components spontaneously predominating. The charge density distribution is close to the Wigner order with the small amplitude of the 4kF charge-density waves.

Spin-polarized conductance induced by tunneling through a magnetic impurity

Using the zero mode method, we compute the conductance of a wire consisting of a magnetic impurity coupled to two Luttinger liquid leads characterized by the Luttinger exponent alpha(>or=1). We find for resonance conditions, in which the Fermi energy of the leads is close to a single particle energy of the impurity, that the conductance as a function of temperature is G approximately equal (e(2)/h)(T/T(F))(2(alpha-2)), whereas for off-resonance conditions the conductance is G approximately equal (e(2)/h)(T/T(F))(2(alpha-1)). By applying either a gate voltage or a magnetic field or both, one of the spin components can be in resonance while the other is off resonance causing a strong asymmetry between the spin-up and spin-down conductances.